How to Change a Life
by aboz567
Summary: One person, one chance meeting, is all it takes to change a life. After a fateful encounter brought them together, Ash and May bonded in a way that neither had ever experienced. Love, friendship, trials and danger await them in their long journey through Hoenn but as long as they have each other, they know they'll be alright. Advanceshipping.
1. Serendipity

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm here today with an idea that I've had in my head for nearly a year. And I've tweaked the idea behind the story and now I think I'm ready to share it! It's my take on May and Ash meeting in Hoenn. Romance is the primary genre of this story, but there will be aspects of adventure as well. Though, I'm almost certain I'll turn this story into a longer one (chronicling Ash's entire journey through Hoenn once I'm done with my other stories. Judging by what I've already written, this story will almost definitely have over 1,000,000 words.), then the action will be turned up immensely. I already have over 200,000 words of this story written, and will be releasing a chapter every other day until it is all posted. So for once, you can expect regular updates from me for a while lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, "How to Change a Life"**

* * *

"One smile, can start a friendship. One word, can end a fight. One look, can save a relationship. One person can change your life."

-Unknown

"A good destiny is when two people find each other without even looking

-Unknown

"Sweet Serendipity...the unexpected meeting that changes your life."

-Unknown

* * *

How to Change a Life

"Are you sure you have everything? Clothes, socks, sleeping bag..." A brown haired woman of about 40 rambled on as she went over everything she could think of.

In front of the woman, was another brown haired girl. She appeared to be about 18 years of age, with an enticing womanly figure. Her most notable traits were how her hair seemed to form an upside down V shape, and how she wore a red bandana on her head. All in all, she was breathtakingly beautiful and an exceedingly happy person.

Well...most of the time...

Right now, the younger girl held a look of complete boredom on her face as she listened to her mother drone on. She must've reached a point where she couldn't take it anymore as she finally cut her mother off.

"Mom! We've been through this three times! I have everything I need for my journey, I promise." The younger woman exclaimed, calming her voice as she went on as she realized who she was talking to; she didn't want to be disrespectful to her mother.

The mother sighed as she acknowledged her daughter's words, "I know, May. I'm sorry. I just want to be sure that everything is perfect for your first journey. And plus, getting stuck on the road without something important is really rough, and not something you want happening so early in your journey."

Just then, a man, whom was seated at the table in the kitchen where the two women were stationed, chimed in, "You need to relax, dear. She's a smart girl. I'm sure if she says she has everything, then she does. Plus, I bet she's super excited to get to Professor Burch's lab so she can pick her first pokemon! Right, May?"

The young woman, May, responded with a forced smile, trying her best to hide her real feelings, "Yeah, Dad...can't wait."

While May thought her acting job was abysmal, her parents didn't seem to notice that she was anything but excited about getting a pokemon. May internally sighed in relief upon realizing they believed her lie.

Truth is, May didn't really like pokemon, but nobody outright knew that; her parents knew that she didn't exactly love pokemon, but they didn't know the true extent of it. Though, May didn't necessarily have a problem with them either, she just didn't really feel the desire to ever get one of her own. Plus, she'd always held onto a slight fear of pokemon due to an incident in her past. The only reason she was getting one now was so she would be able to do the one thing that she wanted to do more than anything...

Travel.

She wanted to see it all. Every region. Every beautiful scene. The whole world if she could. And a pokemon journey was the perfect excuse to do just that. Now that she was 18, she was finally considered an adult and thus, allowed to receive a pokemon of her own. And while she felt she was prepared for the responsibility of owning a pokemon, May didn't particularly like the idea of it. Though it wouldn't too bad, she supposed. It'd probably be the only pokemon she'd ever "catch" and have to care for after all.

May's mother, Caroline, looked at her daughter as she approached her with a sad smile on her face. As they were nearly the same height at 5'8", they looked each other straight in the eye before the older woman took May into a deep hug.

"I can't believe my baby is all grown up! It seems like just yesterday I was changing your diapers and now, here you are. 18 years old, stunningly beautiful...I'm so proud of you honey." Caroline finished and pulled away as tears began flowing from her eyes.

Seeing her mother cry, as well as her sincere words almost made May cry as well. A few tears strolled down her face, but she managed to hold most of them back.

She was going to miss her family. Miss her home. All of it. But this was something she wanted more than anything. If she wanted to see the world, she would have to leave home for a while.

"I'm going to miss you guys. But I'll call you as much as I can. And I'll be back home all the time!" May embellished her words slightly. 'All the time' was a bit of a stretch, but she would take every opportunity she could to visit her family.

As Caroline wiped her tears away, her father, Norman, stood from his seat and approached his daughter before taking her into a loving hug.

"We're going to miss you too, sweetie. " Norman started. He then quickly turned serious. "Make sure to watch out for boys. I don't trust a single one of them."

May couldn't help but laugh at his statement as she pulled away from her father. "Dad...you know you're a boy too, right?"

Norman just nodded, "Yes I do...that's how I know boys that age can't be trusted."

The three shared a hearty laugh as another person made their presence known in the room. In the entranceway stood May's younger brother, Max. He appeared quite timid, something uncommon for the typically chipper boy.

"Max, honey, are you okay?" Caroline questioned, concerned by her son's odd behavior.

Before anyone had a chance to react, Max shot forward and hugged his sister as tears flowed from his eyes.

"I'm really gonna miss you, May! I know we fight a lot, but I really do care about you! Please make sure you come back soon." Max cried as he hugged his sister.

May smiled sadly as she hugged her younger brother, "I promise I'll come back as soon as I can. But for that to happen, you have to let me go first."

May spoke lightheartedly, immediately raising the mood in the room once again. The two hugged for a while longer before her brother finally let her go. The two shared a smile before May addressed the whole room once again.

"Well...I'm off. It's not too long a walk to Littleroot, but I definitely need to get going." May stated, her family nodding in understanding.

"It's a real shame your bike was ruined. I still can't believe it; that thunder storm came out of nowhere, and of all the places for the lightning to strike, it had to be directly on your bike." Caroline added, shaking her head in disbelief.

May nodded and sighed at the memory. It sure would've been nice to have a bike but after thinking it through, she realized that by walking she'd be able to really take everything in. She'd have the ability to slow done and see everything, so she wasn't too mad. Plus for some odd reason, this incident felt like it was supposed to happen...

May hugged each member of her family once more before she turned, all of her travel items in tow, and walked toward the door to begin her journey. Before she walked out the door however, she turned once more and spoke sincerely.

"I love you guys so much. Thank you for allowing me to do this."

As May finished speaking, she turned once again and made her way outside. As she stood outside, she took a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled brightly.

" _Finally...I get to explore the world!"_ May internally squealed in excitement.

But before she could go anywhere exciting, she had to go to Littleroot Town in order to get her first pokemon. The walk wasn't too long. It was about 20 minutes to Oldale Town, and another 15 minutes to finally reach Littleroot.

While this might seem a bit far to some, May knew she'd be traveling much greater distances than this in the future. So, with a big smile on her face, she began her walk to Professor Birch's Laboratory.

The walk started off nice enough. It was peaceful and quiet, giving May plenty of time to think of the wondrous things she would see throughout her journey. But as the walk was long, her thoughts were bound to shift elsewhere at some point...

May couldn't help but begin to think of just how lonely this journey could turn out to be. Traveling alone was never easy and even just minutes into her walk, May began to realize this.

May never really had many friends while she lived in Petalburgh. Because her dad was the city's famous gym leader, she was always treated just a little bit differently by everyone. She didn't feel she was close enough with anyone to ask them to travel with her on this journey. And as for boys, any kind of relationship with them, platonic or other, never really came to be in her 18 years.

May was a very beautiful girl, a positive most of the time. But May discovered early how some men would simply want to use her for her body. And even the nicer boys, she never gave them much thought. Her dad was extremely picky about who was 'good enough' for his daughter and May knew none of the guys she knew of would meet his standards, so she just never bothered with them at all. Plus, so many of them were lecherous jerks that she'd damn near avoided any and all relationships with guys in her city.

Though, it would've been nice to share all of her excitement with someone, she supposed. Have a girl along with her as a best friend. Have a guy with her as a friend...maybe even as something more.

Even though she had never partaken in a romantic relationship, May was still a teenage girl. She dreamed of romance, of her knight in shining armor one day showing up in her life. She didn't hold her breath though. This was the real world. Stuff like that didn't happen here...

But even still. She dreamed of one day having a man that would love her unconditionally, and she could do the same to him. But she wasn't going to force it, even if that meant having to be alone for the entirety of her journey.

She wouldn't let this keep her down, however. This was going to be the best time of her life and anything that happened, happened. She accepted that.

May's thoughts were slowly beginning to drift back to positive one's when a small Duskull popped out of the trees to her left. May jumped immediately, startled out of her wits before she began running. She only looked back when she decided she was far enough away from the wild pokemon that'd spooked her. It was also at this time when she finally arrived in Oldale Town, having run further than she thought. May caught her breath before quickly making her way south through the city.

As May began her final trek to Littleroot, she made sure to walk just a little bit faster...

…

…

The second half of the walk had seemed longer to the young woman. Most likely because she wasn't as consumed in her thoughts.

Because Littleroot was such a small town, it was very easy to find Professor Brich's Laboratory. It was by far the largest building in the town and somehow, it just gave off a 'laboratory' vibe to it, whatever that means.

May quickly made her way into the building, passing by a number people out and about on the streets. As soon as she entered, May could instantly tell that this was a laboratory. Various machines lined every wall. Bookshelves full of texts were everywhere, and tables with hundreds of loose papers covered the room.

May walked deeper into the lab, trying her best to spot Professor Birch. It shouldn't of been difficult, he was a big man after all. Plus, she knew what he looked like since she'd met him a number of times before as her parents and the Professor were good friends.

Despite all of this, she still couldn't seem to find the man who would allow her to finally begin her journey.

Seeing that the young woman looked lost, an assistant of the lab approached her.

"Excuse me, are you looking for Professor Birch?" The man questioned politely, catching May's attention.

"Yes sir, I am." May responded simply.

The man nodded his head, "Professor Birch is out in the field on research. If you need him immediately, you can go look for him. He should be somewhere in the forest off the path between here and Oldale Town. And he's more than likely still close by; he doesn't like to wander to far for such simple research."

May smiled at the man and nodded, "Thank you, I think I'll do that."

May momentarily considered just waiting for the Professor here, but her mind quickly shunned that idea. She was really, _really_ excited to start her journey, especially since she was so close to being able to do so. Plus, going to find Professor Birch could be an adventure in it of itself.

With that said, May left the laboratory and headed to the forest in search of the Professor. The lab was fairly close to the upper edge of the city, so it didn't take long for May to enter the brush.

May silently wished that she had a more exact idea of where the Professor was; he could be anywhere. But she knew she had no choice but to just search the forest. And worst case scenario, she would just meet him back at the lab.

It was this moment she heard a scream...

"Help me!" The voice exclaimed.

May immediately became concerned, worried about whomever this voice belonged to. She couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity upon hearing the voice. Quickly, the realization hit her that it must've been Professor Birch; who else would be out here anyway?

Feeling the need to answer the man's call for help, she ran quickly in the direction of the voice. As it turned out, the Professor wasn't too far away as May reached the man in less than a minute.

May stopped her motion as she noticed that she was on top of a ledge, somewhere from 10 to 12 feet high. If she was careful, she assumed that she would be able to jump down if necessarily. But before she could do anything, she noticed a brown messenger bag on the ground next to her.

"Please! Help!" The Professor screamed again, drawing May's eyes to the man. He was up in a tree with 3 Poochyena snarling at the base of said tree. May's eyes widened as she saw the situation. But she had to stay calm, she knew that. Looking back to the Professor, it seemed that he hadn't noticed that she had arrived at the scene.

"Professor! I'm here!" May yelled at the man, finally catching his attention. The Poochyena didn't seem to care about the new arrival as they were still snarling angrily at the man above them.

"May! Boy am I glad to see you. I need you to help me." The Professor spoke, surprisingly calmly given his current situation.

May nodded immediately, "Okay, what do I do?"

The Professor motioned toward his messenger bad with his head, "There's a pokeball in my bag. Send it out and attack the Poochyena. Hopefully it'll scare them off."

May responded to his words, immediately reaching down for the bag and grabbing the pokeball. She grew slightly nervous; this would be here first real pokemon battle, and against 3 opponents at once no less. Despite the odds, she knew she had no other choice.

Taking a deep breath, she let out the pokemon. It was a small, chick like creature, yellow and orange in color. May immediately recognized the pokemon as one of the Hoenn starters, Torchic. The pokemon stood in her spot, not quite sure what was going on at the moment.

"Okay, now attack the Poochyena!' The Professor exclaimed, more than ready to get out of the tree.

May's brain scrambled to remember one of the pokemon's attacks, but she was drawing a blank. She didn't know all that much about pokemon as they never really interested her. Plus, the stress of the situation wasn't helping.

"Professor, what attacks does Torchic know?" May questioned. She was slightly embarrassed about not knowing something so basic but this wasn't the time to be timid. She had to help this man.

"Use ember, Torchic might be able to hit more than one of them that way." The Professor stated quickly. "But Torchic's ember won't reach the Poochyena from where you are. I'm sorry to say this, but have to come down to their level!"

May's eyes widened as she took in the Professor's words. Up until now, she hadn't really been in any danger, but she would have to throw herself in the fire if she wanted to save the old family friend. May quickly realized that if she was going to go on this journey, she was going to find herself in danger every once in a while. She had to be strong when these situations arose. Steeling herself, May grabbed Torchic and carefully made her way over the ledge.

May then carefully slide her way down the incline. As soon as she landed, she placed Torchic down.

"Okay, Torchic. Use ember on the Poochyena!" May told the orange pokemon. Though, instead of a stream of flames, she saw...

...nothing.

Looking at the pokemon in confusion, she saw the creature shaking in fear. May instantly looked to the Professor with a look that screamed 'what do I do?'

"Torchic has never battled before! I rescued her from a pack of Mightyena a few weeks ago, she's afraid. Try talking to her." The Professor told the girl, his eyes not once leaving the snarling pokemon at the base of the tree.

May turned her attention back toward the Torchic and kneeled down to her level, but not before checking to make sure the Poochyena still had their gazes looked of Professor Birch.

"Torchic." The orange pokemon looked back at the person who'd produced such a calm voice. "It'll be okay. You're a strong pokemon, I know it. You have to do this to help Professor Birch. He's the one who saved you, right? Well now it's your turn to do the same for him."

Torchic looked up at the Professor and back to the girl, who had a comforting smile on her face. Torchic immediately knew that this girl was right. She had to help this man. She owed her life to him. Torchic was really glad this woman was here with her. Without her, Torchic was sure she wouldn't have had the courage to save Professor Birch.

Turning around quickly, Torchic let a look of pure determination overtake her small face.

"That's the spirit! Now, use ember!" May exclaimed, elated that she was able to get through to the pokemon.

Upon hearing her words, Torchic let out flurries of small flames, hitting two of the three Poochyenas. causing them to yelp and retreat deeper into the forest. The third Poochyena, whom wasn't hit followed suit.

"Great job, May! You did-"

Professor Birch was cut off by a rustling in the brush. Before either of them knew it, a large Mightyena appeared, followed by the three poochyena from before. They hadn't retreated...

...they'd left to get their mother.

Both May and Birch's eyes widened in fear. This was definitely bad. And the large pokemon was glaring at May and Torchic. All the terror that previously overtook Torchic returned in an instant.

"May, you and Torchic have to get out of here!" Professor Birch screamed at the frightened girl, breaking her out of her stupor.

However before she could even think to move, the Mightyena launched a shadow ball right at Torchic. Paralyzed in fear, the small pokemon had no chance to dodge. She was knocked out instantly.

Now, the Mightyena was snarling solely at May. She gulped in fear, and slowly bent down to grab the fainted pokemon. She had to make a move or she would almost surely be hurt, or worse... She had to be smart about this. She had to react at just the right moment.

May made her move when the Mightyena charged at her. The dark pokemon lunged at her, but May was just slightly quicker and manged to roll out of the way. The large pokemon didn't manage to land on her feet, and instead came crashing to the ground. But this just seemed to anger the pokemon further.

Before the Mightyena could get up, May tossed Torchic up to Professor Birch and quickly scaled the tree; May used to love climbing trees as a child, which she was immensely thankful for at the moment. The only good thing was the sheer amount of adrenaline that was currently pumped through her allowed her to scale the tree in seconds, managing to reach the same thick branch as Professor Birch. She was out of harms way. But now, they had a bigger problem to worry about...

Now, they had a large, angry Mightyena at the base of the tree, and it wasn't going to let them come down anytime soon.

"What a way to start a journey..." May muttered to herself as Professor Birch and herself remained trapped in a tree.

* * *

"There it is, Pikachu. The Hoenn region." A tall, raven haired boy spoke excitedly.

"Chu! Pika Pi!" The yellow pokemon on the boy's shoulder exclaimed just as happily.

The two were at the bow of a very small boat, rather than one of the large ferries that would've take him to the port in Slateport City, Hoenn.

The man, Ash Ketchum, had come across a kind old man who was willing to take him directly to a small port in Littleroot Town as to save him the trouble of having to travel there all the way from Slateport City. Before he could do anything in Hoenn, he had to see Professor Birch as he'd promised Professor Oak he would do so.

As far as he knew, he wasn't going to the Hoenn Professor's lab on any sort of business. Professor Oak had just been very adamant about Ash, one of the most successful people to ever come out of his lab, meeting Professor Birch. Ash had a feeling that Oak wanted to show him off a bit...

He supposed this did make sense. After all, the 19 year old man had done something only one other had ever done before him: win a Pokemon League in their first year of travel. Of course, unlike Red years before him who had manage to beat all of the elites as well as the champion, Ash had lost handily to the first member of the Elite 4.

He had only just recently forgiven himself for jumping the gun on the Elite 4 challenge. Instead of using the entire year provided to train before taking on the elites, he decided to dive in head first and challenge hem as soon as he could, his overconfidence making him believe he would win.

Looking back, he couldn't believe how reckless he'd been. Everyone else chalked it up to inexperience and while that held some degree of truth, his recklessness was, in Ash's mind, what ended up besting him. He'd always been like that though. But after his loss to the Elites, Ash vowed to try to be less reckless and actually think things through. Though, he wasn't sure exactly how to go about changing that about himself. Or if he'd even be able to...

Before Ash could think any further, he heard the captain yell from behind the wheel.

"Ash, we're about to dock. I'd make sure to have all of your belongings ready." The old captain stated kindly.

Ash turned back and nodded his head in acknowledgement. He hadn't even been able to tell that there was any sort of docking area in front of them. Sure, he could see land, but not really a place to dock a boat. Though as the boat grew closer to the landmass, he was able to see a small dock. It looked as if it hadn't been used in years.

" _It's a bit of secret only us older sailors know of."_ Ash remembered the old man telling him before they'd left Kanto.

Before he knew it, the boat was pulled up carefully next to the dock. Ash quickly gathered his belongings and hoped off. Now this would normally be the time where Ash would be helping the old man tie up his boat, but not this time. The man had gone well out his way just to make Ash's life slightly more convenient.

Ash looked back at the man on the boat and smiled appreciatively, "Thanks again Mr. Briney. You really saved me a lot of travel time. And I'm sorry you had to go out of your way. Slateport is not exactly close to here..."

The old man let out a hearty laugh, "It was no problem at all my boy! And I was more than happy to do it! Any reason I can find to spend more time on the water, the happier I am, so think nothing of it!"

"At least let me pay you." Ash reasoned. Even despite the man's words, he still felt slightly guilty; that's just how he was.

Though, as Ash expected, the man refused vehemently.

"No, I can't let you pay me for doing what I love. Plus, you should keep that money. Maybe find a nice girl, and take her out!" Mr. Briney spoke lightheartedly.

Ash could feel warmth rush to his cheeks at the man's words. Most of his life had been spent solely focusing on pokemon, but ever since he went through puberty, girls had been on his mind a lot more often. Of course, he found plenty of girls attractive, and quite a few of the girls back in his home town thought the same of him, but he'd never really put too much thought into actually 'dating' one of them before. It was a topic that both intrigued and terrified him.

Ash shook himself out of his thoughts in time to say one more thank you to the kind old man, who simply nodded back in response before backing the boat into the open water. Ash stood in his spot until he saw Mr. Briney and the boat disappear.

"What a nice old man. Don't you think Pikachu?" Ash asked his partner on his shoulder.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed happily in agreement.

It was at this time that Ash turned around. As this port had hardly been used in years, maybe even decades, a heavy brush separated Ash's current position and what had to be Littleroot town.

It didn't take long to break through the brush, only a few minutes. As he appeared from the forest, Ash allowed himself to take in the sight of the town. It reminded him slightly of Pallet Town. It was small, quant and held a certain charm to it that you didn't see in larger cities.

It didn't take him long to see what had to be the Professor's lab in the distance. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air as a smile found its way to his face, Ash began toward the lab.

As he entered, he was almost immediately met by what he assumed to be one of the Professor's lab assistants.

"Are you looking for Professor Birch?" Ash nodded at the man's words. "He's out in the woods just north of here, very close by. Actually a girl around your age went out there looking for him not too long ago. In fact, they really should be back by now..."

As the man trailed off, Ash thought he could offer some assistance to the man.

"I'll go out and find them. It'll be fun to see some Hoenn pokemon anyway!" Ash spoke happily. He was always at his happiest when he was helping other people, and here he could help ease this man's worries by doing something that he had to do anyway in finding the professor. Plus like he'd said, forests were a great place to see new pokemon.

The assistant nodded appreciatively, "Thank you very much. What's your name by the way?"

"Ash. Ash Ketchum. And this is my best buddy Pikachu." Ash stuck out his hand for a shake as Pikachu smiled and wave his paw.

The assistant's eyes widened slightly as he shook the man's hand, "The same Ash Ketchum that just won the Indigo League?"

Ash smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "Yeah, that's me. I didn't think many people in Hoenn would know about that."

"But of course! My other passion aside from research is pokemon battling, and anyone who's into battling usually tunes in to every league they can, even those not held in their home region. Maybe not as many people as in Kanto, but a decent number of the people of Hoenn know of you, I'm sure of that. I've heard your name thrown around in many a conversation. Congratulations by the way on your accomplishment. It's pretty amazing." The man stated sincerely.

Ash smiled, "Thanks. I really appreciate your kind words. I'm going to go find the Professor now."

The assistant nodded before Ash turned and took his leave. He immediately went north and entered the forest.

As they walked, Ash took to talking with Pikachu, "Hey, Pikachu? You don't think they're in trouble, do you? That man seemed kind of concerned that they weren't back yet."

Pikachu didn't respond verbally, only shrugging his small shoulders in response. Though, both of them felt in their guts that something wasn't right. With that in mind, Ash picked up his speed slightly.

"Professor Birch! Professor! Are you out there?" Ash cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, hoping the man could hear him and lead him to his location. He got no response, so Ash just continued walking.

It wasn't 3 minutes later that Ash came across the scene. As he saw what was gong on in front of him, he ducked back into the brush, hoping to not be noticed by the menacing pokemon. After he confirmed that the Mightyena and her cubs had not noticed him, his eyes shot up into the tree, where he saw both the Professor and the girl that he'd been told about. It was obvious they were trapped and needed some help. And luckily for them, that was Ash's forte.

Before Ash could make a move, Birch's eyes fell on the man in the light brush of the forest. The two locked eyes, And Ash motioned a finger to his mouth, indication silence. The Professor nodded in response before looking to see if May had noticed the man who would hopefully be able to get them out of this mess.

May's eyes were locked on the Mightyena below her. She was frightened to say the least. Her first day on her journey and she already had to deal with something like this. But despite this, she was still sentient. She felt the Professor nudge her side, earning her attention. She looked to him immediately and saw that he was motioning with his head in the direction behind the Mightyena.

May saw him immediately. She couldn't really make out any discernible features, but that didn't matter at the moment. All that mattered was that someone was here. Someone that would hopefully be able to help.

Ash was thinking methodically about how to go about taking down not only the Mightyena, but her three cubs as well. Regardless of if they were powerful or not, a 4 on 1 battle would always be a challenge. Ash silently cursed himself for only bringing Pikachu. He planned on using his old pokemon in Hoenn every once in a while, but he'd decided to just call for a transfer from Professor Oak when he needed them.

But since he didn't have the luxury of more than one pokemon, he had to make do with Pikachu. Ash had full confidence in his starter; he'd won battles before against even more enemies after all. Plus, they had the element of surprise on their side. He locked eye's with his starter and nodded at him. Pikachu did the same before hoping off his shoulder and approaching the Mightyena closer. Ash closely followed suit.

"Pikachu, thunder wave on the Poochyena!' Ash commanded. Faster than one could imagine, Pikachu sent three shock waves toward the pokemon, paralyzing them completely. Because they hadn't been expecting it, the three Poochyena couldn't even think to evade the attack. Though with how fast Pikachu got the three thunder waves off, they probably would've been hit anyway.

" _Alright, now to deal with the mother."_ Ash thought to himself as he saw the Mightyena begin to approach rapidly.

"Pikachu, dodge and use thunderbolt!" Pikachu deftly maneuvered over the dark pokemon per his best friend's command. Turning himself around in mid air, Pikachu shot a powerful bolt of lightening toward the Mightyena, striking it directly.

The pokemon howled in pain, but didn't go down. Surprising both Ash and Pikachu. This Mightyena was stronger than they'd thought. Again the Mightyena charged at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, dodge again!" The yellow pokemon tried the same maneuver, but the Mightyena surprised him this time with her speed. She was using Crunch and barely managed to catch Pikachu's tail in her mouth.

Seeing the situation, Ash immediately knew what to do. This wasn't the first time he'd encountered a situation like this.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail and then another Thunderbolt!" Pikachu responded immediately to Ash's commands. His tail turned to solid steel, preventing any further damage as he simultaneously let out another powerful Thunderbolt. The Mightyena was obviously not expecting this as she was struck head on by the attack. And this time, she went down, letting Pikachu go.

"Alright, way to go buddy! Great job!" Ash exclaimed as his partner jumped into his arms, smiling at the praise.

As this was happening, both Professor Birch and May were staring at the scene in amazement. This man bested the obviously strong pokemon so easily. His strategy was impeccable. And even May, who wasn't particularly interested in pokemon battles, was amazed and intrigued by the sight. Especially the simplistic beauty of Pikachu's movements.

She'd become so worried when the Mightyena caught Pikachu's tail, but this trainer didn't even hesitate for a second. He immediately got his pokemon out of the situation. She was in awe over the battle; it was like nothing she'd ever seen before, even when she would watch her dad battle challengers.

May shook out of her stupor when she noticed Birch begin to climb out of the tree. May, wanting nothing more than to get out of the tree in that moment, followed closely behind. By the time she'd reached the bottom, Ash had made his way over to them.

"Thanks a lot, young man. You got us out of quite the bind back there. Right, May?" Professor Birch turned his head to May, whom didn't respond. Instead her eyes were locked firmly on Ash.

Ash's eyes were locked on her as well, though not lecherously and he did his best not to allow his eyes to linger for too long. He found this woman to be _incredibly_ attractive, but was raised well enough to know not to stare. He respected women, his mother ingrained that in him early, and he was glad that she did so.

Now that the man had come closer, May could finally get a good look at him, and she was blown away by how attractive he was. He was tall, around 6' 4" if she had to guess. His face was like something out of a magazine. His hair, while wild and covered by a hat, she found cute. His bright smile, while goofy, was charming as can be. His eyes were caring, full of kindness and passion. He very obviously had strong, well defined arms, indicating that he was strong and defined everywhere else as well...

Ash broke out of his daze first, smiling brightly at the two people in front of him. He stretched his hand out for a shake toward the female first. It was of no offense to the Professor, this girl had just very obviously peaked his interest.

"Hi there. I'm Ash Ketchum. It's nice to meet you! What's your name?" Ash spoke, his tone dripping with excitement and kindness. His voice directed at her was what finally broke May out of her gaze. She immediately blushed lightly, but still took his hand and shook it.

"My name is May Maple. It's nice to meet you as well." May quickly managed to get over her embarrassment and fought the blush from her face as she met Ash's gaze. She'd never acted like that before. "Thank you for helping us."

Ash's smile widened even further, "It was no problem at all. I'm just glad I was able to help."

"So your Ash Ketchum, eh? Professor Oak told me you'd be coming. It's nice to meet you, and thanks again for giving us a hand there." Professor Birch stated. His words broke Ash and May out of their gazes into each other's eyes.

Ash looked toward the Professor again, blushing slightly, as was May, before speaking, "Yeah, that's me! It's nice to meet you too, Professor."

Both men shared a smile before Birch's face turned curious, "Oak said that there would be someone else with you. Is he back at the lab?

Ash seemed slightly confused at first before he realized who he was talking about.

"Oh, you mean Brock." The Professor nodded his head, remembering the name that Oak had told him. "He's actually still in Kanto at the moment. He had some things he had to take care of at home, and I just couldn't wait to get here so we decided we would just meet here in Hoenn."

A look of understanding overcame Birch's face. During this time, May was mulling over the man in front of her's name. Ash Ketchum...It sounded so familiar...

Feeling more comfortable now, May decided to bring it up, "I swear, your name sounds so familiar. Have we ever met before?"

Ash acknowledged the beautiful brunette's words and studied her face, seeing if he remembered ever meeting her before. Though, he sincerely doubted it. He was sure he'd remember meeting a girl this beautiful.

Ash's analytical gaze caused May to blush slightly. She internally cursed herself for this; she'd never acted this way around anyone before.

"I don't think so, May. You ever been to Kanto? Johto, maybe?" Ash questioned. Seeing May shake her head in the negative, Ash had his definitive answer. "Then no, we definitely haven't met."

"You don't recognize him?" The professor indicated toward Ash. Seeing May shake her head, he continued. "Well Ash Ketchum here is the most recent winner of the Indigo League Championship, Kanto's pokemon league. He's actually tied for the record of youngest person to ever win a pokemon league at 19 years of age. If you count it by the month, then Ash _is_ the youngest ever winner."

Ash became slightly embarrassed by the praise and rubbed the back of his head with a slightly sheepish smile on his face. He would never get used to all of this attention, he was too modest for it. "Yeah, but I did get creamed by the first member of the Elite 4."

May looked at the man again. It made sense now how he was able to defeat the Mightyena so handily. Although she didn't follow pokemon battling at all, both her brother and father did, and they followed it very closely. To live in the Maple household, you at least had to know something about pokemon battling, and deal with it being on the family room TV at almost all hours of the day. May knew how difficult it was to win a pokemon league. And to do it at such a young age, May was very impressed.

It was at this moment that May realized why the name sounded familiar. Both her father and brother had been watching the Indigo League a while back and kept talking about a certain someone who was taking the competition by storm. Her brother was amazed by his ability, and even her dad was impressed, something that was hard to earn from him.

May smiled at Ash and spoke, "It all makes sense now. My brother is actually a fan of yours. You even managed to impress my dad, and he's not an easy man to impress."

Ash went slightly red once again at the praise and just laughed and thanked her.

It was then that they three were reminded of the wounded Torchic in Professor Birch's arms. The orange chick turned slightly, obviously in pain and still consider unconscious.

Taking notice of this, Ash took off his backpack and set it down in front of him. He first took out his sleeping bag, folded it up, and set it on the ground. He then pulled out a couple of bottles of something.

"Professor, could you set Torchic down on my sleeping bag? I have a couple of revives and super potions with me so I'll be able to help her out with the pain." Ash said as he waited patiently for the professor to comply.

Birch's eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Ash, revives cost a lot of money, and super potions aren't cheap either. Are you sure you want to use one now? The lab isn't really that far away, and we can heal her there."

Ash simply smiled kindly in response, "Thanks for the warning Professor, but I'm still gonna go with my plan. I can't stand to see anyone, human or pokemon, in pain. So if using a revive and a super potion will allow this Torchic to feel better faster, then I'm more than happy to do it. Besides, what's the point of having them if you're not going to use them."

Ash smiled at the Professor who simply responded by placing the Torchic on the sleeping bag as instructed. Ash kneeled and grabbed the the revive bottle. He then carefully sprayed it all over Torchic's small body.

As this was going on, May simply watched in amazement. Most people would never think of using something so valuable when a healing station was just minutes away, especially on a pokemon he'd never met before. May was incredibly impressed by Ash's decision to help Torchic, to allow her to stop feeling any pain. May realized right then just how caring Ash was. He wasn't like most other people she'd met.

As the revive began to take effect, Torchic slowly opened her eyes. As she sat up, her heart began beating rapidly as the fear from before began to overtake her. However, she was still too weak to move. All she could do was shiver in place, breaking everyone's heart.

"Shhh...it's okay. You're safe now. Nothing's going to hurt you, I won't let it. I swear it." Ash spoke softly while caressing the chick's head delicately.

The combination of his words, his soft, caring tone and touch seemed to have an affect on her, as she slowly began to calm down, trusting the man completely. She managed to calm down entirely when her eyes landed on the girl that'd motivated her to be brave earlier. She didn't blame her for getting hurt in the slightest, and she could tell the young woman felt badly about it.

May knelt down next to Ash and replaced his hand on Torchic's head. "I'm so sorry you were hurt, Torchic. But you did great against the Poochyena. Thank you for being so brave."

Even though May had never particularly liked pokemon all that much, she felt a connection between herself and this Torchic. She decided right then that this would definitely be her first pokemon. That is, if Torchic was okay with that.

Ash smiled at May's caring nature before reaching for the super potion. Seeing this out of the corner of her eye, May slowly pulled her hand away, giving Ash the space he needed to apply the super potion.

"This may sting a bit, but I promise afterward, you'll feel as good as new." Ash said. Seeing Torchic nod her head, Ash began spraying the chick. She winced slightly at first, but the stinging sensation stopped almost as soon as it started. By the time Ash was done, Torchic really did feel good as new.

"Torchic! Tor Tor!" Torchic jumped into Ash's arms and nuzzled him appreciatively, making Ash laugh and the Professor and May smile.

"Haha you're welcome, Torchic" Ash stated happily. Torchic then hopped out of his arms and into May's, surprising the girl slightly.

It was obvious to Ash and Birch that the connection May felt with Torchic was very much mutual. May was quite possibly the first person to actually believe in her, and she obviously appreciated that beyond belief.

"Haha, I'm happy to help, Torchic. You're an awesome pokemon." May smiled brightly at the orange pokemon.

"Tor Torchic!" Torchic responded gleefully, causing smiles to break out all around. As May set Torchic on the ground next to Pikachu, the two pokemon introduced themselves to each other and very clearly became fast friends.

Ash reached into his bag and grabbed another revive and super potion, causing confused looks to pop up on May and Brich's faces.

Seeing their expressions, Ash smiled softly, "I'm going to heal Mightyena and her cubs."

This revelation caused May and the Professor to gasp.

"But what if they comes after us again? She's not going to be happy when she gets up!" Birch exclaimed, not wanting to have to climb back up into that damn tree.

"She won't Professor, I promise. After I revive her, she'll still be weak and me and Pikachu will talk with her then. I'll tell her that we mean no harm and we all just want to leave peacefully." Ash responded. He saw that May and Birch were still slightly hesitant. "I know we just met, but please try to trust me. I can't just leave her here like this. It would be cruel. And like I said, I hate seeing living beings in pain. I know it might sound stupid..."

"It's not stupid, Ash. It's really sweet. It warms my heart to see how much you care. I'm with you all the way." May spoke kindly, surprising herself slightly.

She hadn't really meant to speak, but her thoughts just kind of flowed out of her mouth. Either way, she didn't regret saying it, even if it did embarrass her slightly. She was on board with Ash's plan, trusting him completely.

Ash smiled kindly at the brunette and muttered words of thanks. Seeing that the Professor had no further argument, Ash approached the downed mother. Upon seeing this, the three paralyzed Poochyena began whimpering, afraid for their mother.

Noticing this, Ash reassured them, "I'm not going to hurt her. I promise. I'm going to make her all better. And then I'll make sure to heal you all as well"

For some reason, the Poochyena believed him as indicated by the fact that they'd stopped whimpering. Ash had always had a way with pokemon. Pokemon always seemed to know that they could trust him. That he cared for them all greatly and indiscriminately.

As soon as Ash kneeled down beside the large pokemon, he began spraying her with the revive. Just like with Torchic, Mightyena slowly opened her eyes. Upon seeing Ash, she became defensive and tried to bark at him, but she was still pretty weak and would be unable to put up much resistance to whatever this boy planned on doing.

The Mightyena was incredibly surprised when she felt the boy softly petting her side. She'd expected he was coming to hurt her more, to maybe finish the job as others, namely poachers, had tried to do in the past. But no. That was obviously not what this boy was here to do. She then realized that it must've been him who'd revived her.

"Hey there, Mightyena. You really are a beautiful pokemon. I'm really sorry about what happened earlier, I just didn't want you to hurt my friends. But I understand why you were angry; I know how protective a mother can be of her children. We don't blame you at all. We just want to help you now. Forgive and forget." Ash spoke kindly to the pokemon, surprising her further.

"Pika Pikachu. Pika!" Pikachu added. He hoped hearing something said from another pokemon would help her trust them more.

The Mightyena could sense the sincerity of his words and truly felt that he, and the two others with him, now wanted nothing more than to help.

"But before I heal you fully, I need you to promise me that you won't attack us. We swear we won't do anything to harm you. We just want to help you." Ash added sweetly.

The Mightyena nodded her head, agreeing with his terms. Many pokemon seemed to be blessed with the grand ability to tell when a person or pokemon was being sincere, especially with Ash, and she could tell that this boy was being just that.

Ash smiled brightly, "Awesome! Thank you, Mightyena. I'm going to heal you first, and then I'm going to go help out your cubs."

With that said, Ash began spraying Mightyena with the super potion, rejuvenating her immediately. All May and Birch could do was watch on in amazement. Ash truly was something else.

As Ash finished up spraying the super potion, he turned toward May and Birch, "Hey, can you guys go in my bag and grab three paralyze heals and go heal the Poochyena?" Seeing them nod, Ash smiled in appreciation.

May and Birch knew that with the cubs seeing their mother trust Ash, they would trust them as well, so they weren't worried about any kind of attack. Before long, all members of the family were healed, feeling good as new. Ash even offered all three members of the family some oran berries and pokemon food, which they happily accepted and gobbled up quickly.

It wasn't long before the two parties stood in front of each other. Before taking their leave, Ash knelt down once more in front of the Mightyena, rubbing the side of her head.

"Thanks again for trusting us. You really are a great pokemon, Mightyena. And strong too! Not many pokemon can take a full power thunderbolt from Pikachu." Ash stated truthfully.

'Pikachu." Pikachu nodded in agreement.

Mightyena let a proud look overtake her face before Ash spoke again, "Normally, at this point I'd ask if you wanted to come with me on my journey, but I know you have your cubs to look after. I feel good knowing that they're in such good hands with you. Take care, Mightyena."

Before he stood up, Mightyena did something that surprised even Ash. Something very uncharacteristic of a pokemon of her species.

She licked Ash's face.

Ash and May both smiled at the action and watched and the pack turned around and took their leave. Birch though, had a different reaction to the scene...

Once they were out of sight, Ash let out a happy sigh and turned to face his new friends.

"Well, I'm glad that ended well." Ash said. May was smiling brightly, still amazed by Ash. Birch on the other hand, was gobsmacked, his mouth wide open.

Seeing this, both Ash and May looked at the man questioningly.

"Ash, I've never even heard of a Mightyena licking someone like that. Sure, Poochyena do it sometimes but when they evolve, they never do that!" It was easy to tell that Birch was amazed by Ash's way with pokemon.

Ash simply laughed in response, "Well...I've always kind of had a way with pokemon. They just seem to really trust me for some reason." Ash then turned his attention to May. "In fact, I think you might be the same way, May."

May was confused by her new friend's statement, "Oh, I don't know about that... Me and pokemon have never really had the best relationship."

"I don't know May, I think Ash might be right." Birch started, surprising May even more. "While I've only had Torchic for about two weeks, a number of new trainers have wanted to choose her as their starter, but she was terrified of all of them. She refused to go with them because she was so scared. But you...you managed to get her to push past her fear in order to help us. Torchic really likes you, and that's a feat in it of itself."

"But I didn't really even do anything. And I barely said anything either..." May was still having a hard time accepting it, though she had seen with her own eyes that this was true.

"It wasn't so much what you said, but how you said it. Your aura is what allowed Torchic to overcome her fears." The professor rationalized.

May couldn't help but smile at this revelation. Even though she'd never really liked pokemon, she really did like this Torchic, and she was glad to hear that she was able to get through to her while others couldn't.

"See, May? I told you! You definitely have a way with pokemon, and I really admire that." Ash spoke kindly. Ash's kind words and tone of voice made May blush for what felt like the billionth time that day, but she didn't hate it in the slightest.

Even after just meeting Ash, she already held a tremendous amount of respect and admiration toward him, which seemed crazy to her as in 30 minutes, this man'd had more of an impact on her than any other person she'd ever met other than her family. And as she admired him, it was nice to know that he admired her as well.

"You really do like her, don't you Torchic...?" Birch questioned, looking down at the ground for the small chick pokemon. But after looking all over the immediate area, he couldn't see her. He instantly went into a slight panic.

"Guys, Torchic is gone!" Professor Birch exclaimed.

"What!?" Ash and May both yelled simultaneously.

"I don't know! I just looked down and she was gone!" Birch responded quickly before a look of realization overtook his face. "Oh no..."

"What is it Professor?" May pleaded for Birch to speak.

"She must have been afraid when Ash revived Mightyena. Even though we all knew we could trust what was happening, Torchic didn't. When I first found her, she was being attacked by Mightyena, so she's probably terrified of them." Birch finished.

Everyone was worried beyond belief. They didn't like the idea of Torchic, who was quite a low level, being alone, wandering in the wild.

"We have to find her." May spoke with conviction. She knew she couldn't just sit around and do nothing.

"You're right, May. And I might have an idea as to how." Ash responded, peaking the Professor's and May's interest. "Do you guys have any pokemon that have a sensitive sense of smell?"

Birch shook his head and responded first, "I don't have all that many personal pokemon and the only one I had with me was Torchic."

Ash then looked to May, who sighed dejectedly, "Actually, today is supposed to be my first day as a trainer. And after everything that happened, I was hoping to pick Torchic..."

May's voice was full of sadness and her head was hanging down. Ash's heart ached at seeing his new friend like this. Without a second thought, Ash approached the brunette and place his hands on both of her shoulders, causing her to look up at him.

Ash was a good deal taller than her, causing him to have to tilt his head down to look into her eyes. Once he did, he took notice of just how beautiful...Ash quickly shook those thoughts out of his head; this was not the time for this. Little did he know May was having a similar internal monologue with herself.

"May, I swear on my life that we will find Torchic. You have my word, and I never go back on my word. And I know Torchic will be honored to be your first pokemon." Ash spoke with such conviction that it almost shocked May. But in the end, it really didn't. Even after only knowing Ash for less than an hour, this was what she'd come to expect from him.

May nodded and smiled sweetly as she stared into his eyes, seeing the passion and fire burning inside of them. This calmed her down immensely. She believed Ash with all her being, and she was going to help in anyway she could.

"But how are we gonna find her? She could've gone in any direction!" Birch reminded the pair.

Ash sighed before responding, "Well...I was kind of hoping that one of us would have a pokemon with an acute sense of smell. Pikachu's sense is decent, and I guess we could give it a try, but he's never done anything like this before."

Just as Ash finished speaking, a rustling came from their left. Not a second later, Mightyena and her cubs reappeared. The three humans shot Mightyena questioning glances. Pikachu took the opportunity to jump down from Ash's shoulder and approach the larger pokemon. The two began speaking to each other in poke speech. The back and forth didn't go on long before Pikachu hopped back over to Ash, a smile radiating on his face.

"What'd she say, buddy?" Ash questioned his pokemon. May and Birch looked at him like he was crazy as it seemed he was fully expecting an answer that he would be able to understand.

"Pi Pika pi pikachu. Pi Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, causing a smile to break out on Ash's face as well.

"That's awesome, buddy!" Ash turned to face his two human companions, "Pikachu said Mightyena is willing to help us track her down. They weren't too far away from us when they heard us panic, and they wanted to help!"

May and the Professor stared at Ash in shock. Had he really understood a pokemon?

"Ash...how did you understand him?" May questioned, baffled by the development. Ash simply shrugged in response.

"Me and Pikachu are as close of friends as anyone can be. In fact, I think 'brothers' would actually be a better term. Our bond is so strong, that I just kind of understand him. Obviously, not in the traditional sense, but I get the gist of it." Ash explained, amazing the two further.

May had no idea a bond between human and pokemon could be so strong. She was beginning to rethink her general neutrality, near dislike of most pokemon. Now that she could see other examples other than just her father and his pokemon, they seemed to be pretty amazing creatures.

Ash turned his attention to Mightyena once again, "Thank you so much, Mightyena. We would really appreciate your help." Ash reached down and picked up his sleeping bag. Because Torchic had previously been laying on it, the sleeping bad most definitely held her sent. "Here, smell this and try to pick up her scent."

Mightyena sniffed the sleeping bag for a few moments and then went to work sniffing the ground around them. These people had been extremely kind to them, unlike so many others. They understood why they'd been attacked. After all, they were just doing the same thing they were; protecting those they cared about.

It wasn't long before the dark pokemon picked up a scent. She barked as indication that she'd picked up a scent.

"Alright, lead the way." May exclaimed, glad that they had a lead.

Because Mightyena had to constantly be sniffing the ground, they were pretty slow moving, leaving them plenty of time to think and talk. After meeting Ash and seeing the kind of person he was, May wanted to learn more about him. And the same could be said for Ash, who took the initiative.

"So May, what made you want to become a trainer?" Ash asked politely. It seemed like a basic question, but Ash had learned over the years that a lot of people have a much deeper reason for starting a pokemon journey than anyone would expect.

May, although glad that Ash had started a conversation, didn't answer immediately. She was wondering if she should tell him the real reason why she'd started a journey, or just say what she'd always told her parents. Though the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to tell the truth. Her parents weren't around to judge her and she already trusted Ash immensely. She could tell he wasn't the kind of person who would judge or make fun of her for any reason.

"Well, it's not exactly the reason you might think..." May started. She'd never told anybody the real reason she wanted to go on this journey. And because Professor Birch was ahead of them, closer to Mightyena, she was really only talking with Ash and for some odd reason, she wanted Ash to know the truth behind why she'd begun her journey.

"To be honest with you, I never really liked pokemon all that much. I had a bad experience in my childhood that sort of tainted my view of them." May stated and Ash's eyes widened slightly in surprise. With how she'd handled Torchic earlier, this news surprised him, even after May'd told them that she never really got along with most pokemon. From what he could tell, she was great with them. "The real reason I wanted to begin my journey was because I want to travel the world. I want to see everything it has to offer. And a pokemon journey is a perfect way to do just that."

May felt amazing having gotten this off her chest. She'd met this guys less than hour ago and already told him something literally no one else in the world kew about her. She'd _really_ never acted this way before with anyone.

May then glanced at Ash to see what his reaction would be. Seeing her looking his way, Ash smiled brightly.

"I think that's awesome, May!" Ash exclaimed joyfully. May could tell that he truly supported her decision. That he wasn't mocking her as she feared others might do. "Even if you're not into battling, pokemon are still the avenue that'll allow to accomplish your dream of traveling the world, and I think that's amazing!"

May hadn't expected Ash to be as supportive as she was. She didn't expect him to make fun of her or anything like that, but to have some reassurance that what she was doing wasn't wrong felt incredible.

"And over the course of your journey, I think you'll come to find that you'll begin to like pokemon a lot more than you used to. They tend to have that sort of effect on people." Ash spoke, smiling with his eyes fixed on Pikachu whom was perched on his shoulder.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed happily, nuzzling Ash's face. A moment, later, Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder and onto May's , causing the brunette to laugh jovially. Pikachu proceeded to nuzzle her face as well.

"Yeah, they're already starting to grow on me." May stated with a beaming smile adorning her features. "Especially with Torchic. That connection that you and Pikachu have? I think I felt the beginning of something like it with Torchic. Obviously we'd have to build our relationship over time, but we'd definitely be starting from a good place."

Ash could see May's face become somber as she remembered that Torchic was still missing. Ash wanted to do nothing more than to reassure her and fill her head with happy thoughts.

"May." Ash spoke, waiting for May to meet his gaze. The two had actually stopped walking momentarily. When the two locked eyes, Ash continued, "Torchic will be alright. We're going to find her. I swear it."

May had no idea why, but Ash's words managed to reassure her once again. This guy really was something else. She'd never encountered anyone quite like him before.

Seeing May smile once again, the two continued walking. Birch and Mightyena were still fairly close, so they hadn't fell behind.

"It is pretty crazy though." Ash spoke cryptically, catching May's attention. "Pikachu's never warmed up to anyone this fast, even me at first. He really likes you a lot. Don't you buddy?

Pikachu nodded happily, "Pika Pi Pika!"

His bright voice caused the two new friends to laugh. May had a few questions on her mind, so she decided she would ask.

"Why do you think that is? That Pikachu warmed up to me so fast, that is." May questioned. She honestly had no idea, and she was curious as to what Ash thought.

Ash shrugged, "I can't be sure, but I know one thing. Pikachu is a great judge of character. He can sense you have a pure heart. Hell, even I could tell that when we first met."

Ash's kind words made May blush once again. Hearing this praise really made her feel special. She still had another question though. He'd asked why she was going on a journey, now she wanted to know what his reasoning was.

"So why did you begin your pokemon journey? The money? The fame? The women...?" May spoke teasingly, causing Ash to snicker. From just being around him for a short while, May knew he wasn't after the things she'd listed, she wanted to have some fun. It was strange to her that she was able to joke around with someone so freely almost immediately after meeting, but she didn't dwell on it. She was more than happy about it, so she simply accepted it.

"Ha ha, very funny." Ash responded sarcastically with a smirk before letting a smile come across his face as he thought about his ultimate dream. "I've just always loved pokemon. They were all I focused on my entire childhood. I studied everything I could find, befriended wild pokemon, watched every battle I could... anything I could do, I did. It was all just so magical to me."

Ash spoke with a childlike wonder in his voice that was very refreshing for May to hear. It was nice to hear from someone so impassioned about something.

"When I was younger, I always said that I wanted to be a Pokemon Master." Ash laughed slightly. "But I don't even know what that means. No one does since it's not a real title. So now...I guess I just want to be the best trainer and person I can be. I want to beat the best of the best and become champion, I suppose. And help as many people and pokemon as I can along the way."

"That's very noble of you, Ash." May spoke in complete seriousness. She knew Ash meant every word of what he'd said.

Ash just shrugged his shoulders once again, "It's just how my mother raised me, I guess. But for now, my goal is to win the Hoenn league!"

May couldn't help but giggle at the sheer amount of excitement in his voice when he spoke about his dreams of battling the best the world had to offer. Meeting someone that had such a set dream was great, but it also made May feel a little bit badly about herself.

"Sometimes I wish I had a dream like that." May's voice dropped slightly as she spoke, and Ash noticed. May looked over to Ash and was met with a look of concern on his face. May smiled sincerely, but still spoke in the same tone as before. "Your goal just seems so clear cut. You really know what you want to do with your life. But me on the other hand...I just want to travel... I mean, that's kind of broad, isn't it?"

As Ash thought over what May had said, he placed his hands behind his head and looked forward. After a few moments, Ash decided to speak up.

"I don't think it really matters, does it?" May looked at Ash in mild surprise. "I mean sure, your goal can be something super extravagant, but why can't it also be something simple? I think all that matters is that you have something that you want to do." Ash paused momentarily and looked at May, putting his arms down by his sides. The brunette's eyes were fixed solely on him. The two had stopped walking once again. "Your dream is your own. No one else's. And it can be whatever you want it to be. That's what makes it special. And as long as it's what you truly want, you should be happy, right?"

Ash turned and faced forward once again, but still didn't begin walking. "And hey, maybe somewhere down the road, your dream will change or evolve, but it shouldn't matter as long as you're happy."

Ash turned his head and faced May once again, who's face was stoic as she stared into his eyes. Ash's words had been incredibly reassuring. She'd never been able to have a conversation like this as she'd never felt comfortable enough to share her doubts with anyone without the fear of being judged or ridiculed. So hearing what Ash had said comforted her greatly. It made her realize this journey _is_ what would make her happy. And that was all the reassurance she needed.

Without a word, May shot forward and hugged the taller man, speaking into his chest, "Thank you..."

Ash wasn't exactly sure what he was being thanked for, but he knew better than to question it, so he simply hugged the girl back. The hug lasted only a few moments before the two broke apart and shared a smile before the began searching again.

The three continued to search for another 30 minutes. Though they were incredibly worried, none of them wanted that to cloud their judgement nor allow it to completely take over their thoughts. To do this, May and Ash continued to talk, relating over a lot of things and despite the situation, they were very much enjoying each others company. Plus with their belief in the fact that they would find Torchic, the two new friends were comfortable enough to get to know each other while they searched for their newest pokemon friend. They both felt a deep connection with each other, and knew that they were already good friends.

Before they knew it, they were reaching the edge of the forest. It was at this moment they heard Birch's voice from a good distance ahead of them.

"Guys! We found her!"

Allowing their smiles to grow, May and Ash ran to catch up the Professor. Pikachu had opted to hop off of May's shoulder and run on the ground with them, it was much easier that way.

The three didn't have to go far before the reached what looked to be an exit to the forest. As they walked through it, they realized that they were standing on the top of a cliff. It looked to be about 50 feet height.

Professor Birch, Mightyena ad her three cubs were standing close to them, while they noticed Torchic inching closer to the edge of the cliff. This immediately worried Ash and May; the orange pokemon didn't seem to realize exactly where she was.

It was clear to see that she was scared, very scared. It was then May realized that Mightyena was there, staring at the frightened pokemon, making her fear grow tenfold. Mightyena may have been there to help, but Torchic didn't know that.

"Professor, send Mightyena and her cubs into the forest a ways. Torchic is afraid of them." May whispered to the Professor.

Immediately realizing why Torchic was so scared, Birch did as May asked. The dark pokemon were happy to comply; if it would help, then they would do it.

Even though the Mightyena and Poochyena were now out of Torchic's sight, she still seemed frightened. May, knowing she had to act, steeled herself and approached the small pokemon slowly.

"Torchic, it's alright. The Mightyena and her cubs are gone. But they led us to you. They helped us find you. They're our friends now." May spoke in the calmest, most soothing voice she could. While it seemed to have some effect on Torchic, she was still visibly shaking and continued backing up dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

"Torchic, don't be afraid. It's me, May. I'm your friend." May smiled as the small pokemon finally opened her eyes. She was making head way. She continued her approach. "I'm beginning my pokemon journey today, and I really, _really_ want you to be my first pokemon friend. You could come with me and see all the wonderful things the world has to offer. And the best part is, you'll always be safe. I swear it."

Ash smiled as he watched May expertly handle the situation. She'd even used the line he'd used earlier in the day. May was like him in a lot of ways, Ash realized, and that was how he knew that this would work. That Torchic would come to her senses.

Torchic finally stopped shaking and backing up right as she reached the edge of the; one or two more steps and the pokemon would've fallen. Seeing that she'd stopped shaking fully, May approached Torchic and scooped her up in her arms.

May hugged the small pokemon close and Torchic did her best to hug back. Ash and Professor Birch finally felt it was okay to move once again as they were finally out of the woods.

Or so they thought.

It all happened so fast.

May really should've moved away from the edge of the cliff as soon as she had Torchic in her grasp.

Nobody noticed how worn the edge was. How fragile it had to be.

Before anyone could react, the part of the cliff May was standing on broke off and sent her plummeting down. At the last second, May threw Torchic to safety, being caught by Professor Birch.

"MAY!" All Ash could was watch in horror as his new friend disappeared over the edge. He approached quickly, not even thinking about the fact that the rest of the cliff may be fragile as well, and looked down.

He breathed a tremendous sigh of relief as he saw that there, about 15 feet down, was May, whom had caught herself on a branch that was growing out of the side of the cliff face.

"May! Are you alright!?" Ash screamed. He knew he had to act, but he needed to know that she wasn't hurt.

"Yeah! But please get me back up there! I think I hurt my hands, I don't know how long I can hold on... This really, _really_ wasn't how I imagined today going." May responded, her attempt at a lighthearted joke falling flat, even with herself as the severity of the situation sucked any and all chance of humor and calmness out of the area.

Looking to his left, Ash saw that Birch was still frozen, holding a crying Torchic. Ash had an idea, but he'd need the Professor's help for this to work.

"Professor, do you have a rope?" Ash asked quickly. There truly was no time to waste. Ash had no idea how long May could hold on.

Ash's words seemed to break the Professor out of his stupor, "Well...yeah I keep one in my bag. But it's pretty old, I don't know how strong it is. There's a good chance that it won't be able to support your weight, let alone the both of you."

Without even waiting for Birch to pull it out himself, Ash dug around in the bag that hung from the man's shoulder, pulling out a rope that was most definitely long enough to reach May. Ash was relieved. At least now, they had a chance. And he could move forward with his plan...

"It doesn't matter. I'm not letting May fall. I'd rather try and fall myself than sit here and do nothing." Ash responded as he moved forward with his plan. His willingness to put his life on the line amazed the professor as he watched the young man do what had to be done.

After he pulled it out, he ran over to the nearest tree and began tying one end of the rope to it. While doing this, he saw the pack of dark/normal types reappear. They'd seen everything and they wanted to help.

Ash spoke to them as he completed tying the know to the tree. He then began tying the other around his waist and through his legs, similar to how a harness would be set up.

"We're gonna need your help. We're gonna need everyone to help pull me and May back up. I would just send the rope down, but May hurt her hands and I'm afraid she won't be able to make the transition." Ash informed the pokemon of what he would need from them while simultaneously explaining his actions.

Ash quickly made his way to the edge after making sure he had the Mightyena and her cubs' cooperation.

Birch quickly approached Ash, "Are you sure about this?"

Ash knew that the Professor was scared about this, but there was simply no time for fear. Sure Ash was scared, but May had to be much more so. And he'd sworn long ago to help and protect everyone he could, no matter the cost.

Before he responded, he tugged hard on the rope, making sure that it was tied well against the tree one last time before he would go over the edge. Ash looked at the Professor, his face plastered with determination.

"No...I'm not... but it's the only chance we have. Now lower me down slowly. Then when I say so, pull us both back up. Mightyena and her cubs will help. Pikachu too." Ash explained to the man.

Birch nodded before he picked up the rope after setting Torchic down. The orange pokemon saw the dark/normal types reappear but after seeing them pick up the rope with their mouths, she realized that they truly were there to help. To help one of the few people she trusted and cared about. She couldn't afford to be afraid at a time like this.

With that in mind, Torchic trotted to the back of the rope, directly behind one of the Poochyena, not eve flinching as she passed the larger pokemon. She felt no fear this time, only determination. She picked it up as best a she could in her beak. She knew she wouldn't be able to help much, but she would try her absolute best.

As soon as everyone was in position, Ash went over the ledge. They controlled the descent as best they could, but it was by no means perfect. Though, they managed to stop him at just the right spot, directly next to May.

May had her eyes closed in fear. She'd never particularity been afraid of heights, but this was ridiculous. She only opened her eyes when she heard Ash's voice surprisingly close to her.

"Need a hand?" Ash asked lightheartedly, trying to relax her slightly. May opened her eyes and saw Ash directly next to her, a rope tied around his waist and between his legs, almost like a makeshift harness.

May couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe Ash was here to save her. She prayed to be saved, but she didn't know how that would be possible but now, here was her savior, waiting with open arms. May was too shocked to respond verbally.

"Alright, May. I'm going to hold you bridal style and Birch and the pokemon are going to pull us up. Hold onto me as tightly as you can. You ready?" Ash questioned. As soon as May nodded, Ash grabbed May, and allowed her hands to leave the branch, showing she trusted Ash with her life. Literally.

"Okay, pull us up!" Ash shouted. As soon as he did, Ash felt the tension on the rope increase. The pain was excruciating to Ash, causing him to wince. Because the rope was never designed to be a harness, it dug into his body with the force of not only his weight, but May's as well.

May immediately became concerned when she saw Ash wince several times. Seeing the concern on her face, Ash forced a smile. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about it."

May had her arms around Ash's neck as he held her. They were moving upward, but it was slow going. It was minutes before they reached anywhere near the top of the cliff; it'd obviously taken significantly longer to pull them up than it was to lower Ash down.

May was finally beginning to feel truly safe, Ash too. But of course, they weren't out of the woods yet. As there was only about 7-8 feet to go, Birch yelled the absolute worst thing that they could've heard at a time like this.

"The rope is snapping!" Birch exclaimed, cursing himself for never replacing the 20+ year old rope. Slowly but surely, the fibers holding the rope together at the part of the rope just above the cliff's edge slowly tore apart.

"Keep pulling!" Ash screamed. His adrenaline was pumping faster than it ever had before.

"We're not gonna make it!" Birch explained. It was at this moment Ash had an idea. It wasn't a good one, but it would work...kind of. His adrenaline was aiding his strength tremendously, and he was going to use that to his advantage.

"Professor, come to the edge! Hold us steady!" Ash commanded. Birch did what he said without question, even despite not knowing what Ash was planning.

The brunette started to hyperventilate. They were going to die. Both of them. She couldn't believe this was how it was going to end. That she was going to be the reason why the person who'd come to save her would perish, as well as herself.

Ash, who was scared out of his wits himself, especially with what he had planned, forced May to look at him, "I promise, you're getting out of this. I swear it."

With only five feet to left to go, the rope finally snapped completely...

...But not before Ash made his move.

Ash used his adrenaline aided strength to shift May's position in his arms just moments before the rope snapped fully and threw her upwards, and slightly forwards. It was like an act of a superhuman; similar to the stories of old ladies lifting cars off of children.

But whatever it was, it worked. May ended up with the majority of her body on the cliffs edge, only her shins still laying over it; Birch helped to pull her up the rest of the way. She was safe.

But immediately, they both focused on something else entirely. Ash hadn't made it. He wasn't here. May, crying heavily, squirmed out of the Professor's arms and looked over the edge.

"ASHHHHH!" The brunette screamed at the top of her lungs, not being able to see clearly through her tears.

…

…

"I'm still here, May!" May had not been expecting a response but as she controlled her tears, she realized that Ash had managed to grab hold of the branch that she had just minutes before. "Hey, I said I'd get you out of it, didn't I?"

Ash's lighthearted tone betrayed every emotion in the area at the moment. Now that she knew he was alive, May had to go to work figuring out how to save him.

"Professor, you have another rope, right?!" May pleaded with the Professor, whom only looked to the ground and shook his head. "Then go and get help! HURRY!"

Upon hearing May's words, Birch regained his feet and began running faster than a man his size should've been able to.

May looked over the edge again, "Just hang on Ash! We're gonna get you back up here!"

"Sounds good to me, May!" Ash flashed his signature smile at the brunette, causing her to laugh through her tears at the amazing fact that he was still alive. With Ash's obvious strength, both May and Ash had faith that he'd be able to hang on until a solution could be found.

Though at that exact moment, they heard a cracking sound. It wasn't loud or major, but Ash could tell that the branch he was holding was beginning to break. As he looked at the branch, he could see that it was rotted and had only held May because she was so light. But he was significantly heavier...and it couldn't support his weight.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Ash muttered to himself. The world just seemed to be against him on this day.

Ash realized immediately what this meant. Any kind of hope he had of making it through this left his body in a hurry. May had heard the snap, but didn't want to believe what it meant.

"May, the branch is going to break." Ash spoke more calmly than anyone in this situation should've been able to.

"NO! Professor Birch will be back with help before then! Just hold on!" May pleaded, hoping that somehow her words would make a difference.

"May, it's fine. You're okay, and that's all that matters." Ash spoke sincerely, causing May to cry even harder.

"I need you to call my mother, Delia Ketchum. She lives in Pallet Town. And also call my friend Brock Harrison, who lives in Pewter City. Both places are in Kanto. They'll want to know what happened." Ash spoke sternly, relaying just how important it was that she did this. It was so strange to hear this man, moments from death, speaking so calmly, as if he'd come to terms with it.

"ASH STOP TALKING LIKE YOU'RE GONNA DIE!" May cried, her sadness manifesting into anger at the fact that Ash had seemingly accepted that this day was to be his last.

"May, please just promise me you'll do that. Please."

 _CRACK_

The branch broke a bit more. Upon hearing this, May nodded her head, still not accepting what was happening, but just doing anything she could to make Ash feel better. Plus, his pleading tone of voice pulled at her heartstrings. The least she could do was this. It was at this moment that Pikachu looked over the edge with tears in his eyes.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu screamed in a panic.

Upon hearing his best friend cry out, tears finally began to leave Ash's eyes. "I'm gonna miss you buddy. Look out for May. And take care of Mom for me."

Ash then looked back to May. His voice was breaking, but he willed himself to continue speaking, "I'm sorry, May. I really wish I could've gotten to know you better. You're a really special person."

By this point, you could hear the tears in Ash's voice. May couldn't respond, all she could do was stare at Ash and sob, her lip quivering.

Ash met her gaze once more, and despite the incredible amount of fear he was feeling, he shot her a forced smile.

"It's okay..."

 _SNAP_

Before he could say another word , the branch broke completely, sending Ash plummeting to the ground below. Ash didn't even scream, he simply closed his eyes and waited for the impending impact.

May closed her eyes, unable to look at the scene and screamed.

"AAAAASSSSHHHHH!

* * *

 **A/N: And there is the first chapter of this incredibly long project. Remember when I said that I'd be writing a lot this summer, well I kept that promise, just in a way none of you probably expected. I really hope you enjoyed this first chapter and please, let me know what you think of it. Like I said, I will be doing every other day updates, so always look forward to that! This story has already been completed so there won't be any long waiting times between updates! I hope that excites you and you all favorite, review and follow this story! Have a good day guys and I'll see you again in 2 days time. See ya!**


	2. Help

How to Change a Life

It had been nearly 30 minutes since Ash had fallen, and May was still the same position as she had been since, still sobbing. The only difference was she was now holding Torchic tightly to her chest.

A few minutes after Ash had fallen, Torchic cautiously approached May. Torchic was incredibly sad as well. She really liked Ash, and she hated seeing one of the few people she trusted so upset.

"Torchic Tor." Torchic hoped to get May's attention. When May looked down at her, the pokemon knew her attempt had worked.

May grabbed Torchic and hugged her close as her tears continued to fall, "Oh, Torchic..."

Pikachu was sobbing to the side of May. He simply couldn't grasp the fact that his best friend was gone. The three Poochyena and the Mightyena, who were tremendously sad as well, were trying their best to comfort the small yellow pokemon, but it quickly became apparent nothing would help.

May hadn't moved in over 25 minutes, not since she'd picked up Torchic. The only thing that got her to move was when she heard the sound a vehicle. It sounded like it was on the ground below the cliff. Slowly trudging over to look, May saw Professor Birch parking his Jeep-like vehicle.

Seeing this, May shot up and ran, trying to find a way to get down to them. It actually didn't take too long, as there was a clear path just about a hundred meters to the right of the cliff's end. She hadn't noticed it at first, but when she saw Pikachu and the Mightyena along with her cubs running in that direction, she followed closely behind.

Sprinting their way down the hill, May and the pokemon quickly arrived at the scene. When they arrived, Birch was approaching Ash. May's eye's followed the man as she watched him kneel down down next to Ash's body and look over it. On his approach to the man's body, Birch noticed a broken branch on the ground near him. He assumed that the branch he was holding on to must've broken, causing Ash to fall...

To what appeared to be his death...

"Pika Pi..." Pikachu muttered sadly as he took in the sight of his best friend. It wasn't long before tears began falling from his eyes once again.

May gasped loudly, horrified at what she saw when she looked at Ash. His clothes were ripped, and he was covered in cuts and bruises. Even despite the fact that he was laying on his back, it was obvious that there had to be a large gash on his back as a pool of blood had formed underneath Ash's body and it.

It was such a difficult sight for her to see, she didn't even realize how inconsistent these injuries were with what'd happened...

All of this horrified May beyond belief. She couldn't believe that Ash had risked everything just to save her, and was now lifeless on the ground...

Or so she thought...

Birch, ignoring the blood pooling around Ash, moved in close and pushed two fingers into the side of his neck, checking for a pulse. May didn't notice this as she was becoming slightly hysterical at seeing Ash in such a state.

The Professor's eyes widened in shock and his heart began beating rapidly. He couldn't believe it.

Ash had a heartbeat.

It was faint, but there was no mistaking it.

And looking closer, he could see the rise and fall of his chest, indicating he was still breathing. Even though his breaths were ridged and irregular, this was still an incredible sign, a miracle. Birch knew he had to act fast.

"May, he's alive. He has a heartbeat." Birch stated quickly, hoping this would help May calm herself enough to help him.

The man's words broke through to May and caused her to stop bawling almost instantly. May looked almost confused at what she'd been told.

"What...?" May questioned. Her voice was still very obviously filled with pain. How could someone have survived a fall from that height? Especially as it seemed that he'd landed on his back and neck.

"Ash is alive, and we have to help him." Birch spoke with urgency in his voice. "If we're gonna save him, we have to get him to the hospital in Littleroot fast!"

May was elated at the revelation that Ash was still alive, but it just didn't make sense. He had to have fallen what looked to be more than 40 feet. So how did he survive?

As if reading her mind, Birch tried to rationalize how he could've survived, all the while simultaneously thinking of the best way to get Ash into the vehicle. Birch turned his head skyward, May noticed.

"This tree must've helped to break Ash's fall." Birch muttered to himself, though May still heard him. "Of course, that's why he's so cut up..."

The area below the cliff wasn't very dense like the forest it led into just a few meters away, but there were a few trees scattered around. And it looked like Ash had been lucky enough to have fallen through one of them, breaking his fall just slightly. Though judging by the large pool of blood forming beneath him, maybe it wasn't such a good thing...

Neither Birch nor May dwelled on the revelation. They had work to do. Birch moved himself so that he was standing over Ash's head.

"May, you grab his feet. I'll grab him under the arms. We have to move him carefully. We don't know the extent of his injuries, and any sudden or erratic movements could exacerbate anything that's wrong with him." Birch said as he slowly and carefully hefted Ash from under his arms, waiting for May to grab the feet before actually lifting him.

While Ash was a pretty large person, with him being tall and packing a good amount of muscle, May and Birch knew that together, they should be able to heft Ash into the jeep.

May moved forward instantly, grabbing Ash's legs tightly. She then waited for the Professor's cue.

Birched looked at May "On three, alright?" May nodded. "Okay. One...two...three!"

The two people lifted the man and carried him over to the jeep. They managed to lay him down in the back seat. May entered the back seat as well, lifting Ash's head and resting it on her lap. It was very cramped, but May felt compelled to do this.

The pokemon all jumped in as well. Torchic, Pikachu and two of the Poochyena were able to fit relatively comfortably in the front seat and the floor in front of the seat. Mightyena and the remaining poochyena managed to squeeze themselves into the far back, behind May and Ash.

Birch rushed to the driver's seat and started the car. He quickly turned back to May and spoke, "Hold on tight...This is not going to be a smooth ride."

With that said, Birch floored the gas pedal. The car lurched forward rapidly as the vehicle sped to Littleroot Town on the dirt road. May held on to the handle above her head, and kept the other hand on Ash's head, slowly stroking his hair as she stared at him. She was trying to make sure that the driving wouldn't cause him to move around too much.

She hardly noticed Birch's erratic driving, she was too focused on Ash and making sure he was safe. That he was still with them. Every time Ash would be between breaths, May would panic slightly, automatically assuming the worst, only to be reassured when he would take another.

Birch maneuvered through the small town and parked in front of the small, yet region-famous hospital. He wasn't in an actually parking spot, but he didn't care. What was important now was getting Ash help.

May was incredibly glad that they'd managed to arrive at the hospital so quickly. Immediately, she exited the car, placing Ash's head down softly on the seat as she did.

May noticed Professor Birch had run into the hospital and almost immediately after he did so, he returned through the sliding glass doors, followed closely by two hospital employees, one man and one woman, with the latter pushing a stretcher.

May and Birch assisted the two new arrivals in placing Ash on the stretcher. They accomplished the task quickly, and were all soon running into the hospital, pokemon included.

They continued through the hospital, with the two employees yelling at people to get out of the way as they rushed. The quickly approached a set of doors that held a sign reading 'ICU: Intensive Care Unit'.

Birch, May and the pokemon tried to follow the employees, but were halted at the door by a doctor.

"You can't go back there." The doctor told the group. After he said this, he realized who he was speaking to; Professor Birch was a well known figure in Hoenn after all.

Hearing the man say this enraged the people and pokemon in front of him

"Why the hell not!?" May exclaimed. "He needs us! I have to be there for him!"

The doctor looked at the girl sympathetically as he responded to her outburst calmly. He was very much used to this sort of reaction. "Right now, you need to give the doctors room to work so we can try to save his life. I know it's not easy, but this is truly the best thing you can do for him at the moment."

Upon processing the doctors words, those present realized that he was right; they would just be getting in the way of the only people capable of saving Ash's life.

Seeing that the two human's in front of him nodded in understanding, the doctor continued speaking. "Would you mind if I asked you two a few questions?"

May and Birch looked at each other, showing with their eyes that they were both up for it. Coming to an agreement, Birch turned back toward the doctor.

"I suppose. What do you want to know?" Birch questioned politely. It was clear to see he was very stressed and worried. May was no better. In fact, she was handling it quite a bit worse...

"Okay, first can you tell me the name of the man you brought here?" The doctor asked politely after he grabbed a clipboard off of the desk a few feet to his left.

"Ash Ketchum." May responded flatly. Even though she was willing to help the doctors out however she could, she wanted to get this over with quickly so she could focus on Ash once again, even though she knew that having all the time they were sure to have to worry about the boy was definitely not going to be easy.

The doctor's eyes widened slightly, "Ash Ketchum? The same Ash Ketchum who recently won the Indigo League?"

Both May and Professor Birch nodded at the man, indicating that he was correct. The doctor wrote down this information on his clipboard. He then looked at the two people once again.

"Would you mind explaining what happened? The more we know, the easier it will be to help Mr. Ketchum." The doctor stated calmly. Obviously these two humans, and the accompanying 6 pokemon were in great emotional distress, and reliving what'd occurred would surely be difficult. But he was being truthful when he sad that knowing exactly what'd happened would help them.

Birch looked to May, noticing she was looking down at the ground. Since it seemed she wasn't going to be responding, Birch decided he would explain. That is, until May surprised the Professor and started speaking, her eyes still remaining low.

"I was standing on the edge of a cliff and the ground crumbled beneath me. I fell, but managed to hold on to a branch growing out of the side of the cliff. Ash tied a rope around himself and had Professor Birch and the pokemon lower him down to me. He grabbed me and we were being pulled up when the rope began to break. Right before it snapped completely, Ash threw me up and I landed mostly on solid ground...H-He saved my life..." May paused, her emotions getting the best of her as she processed again just what Ash had done for her. But she knew she had to continue.

"He managed to grab the same branch that I did, but then that began to break as well... it couldn't support his weight. It snapped and h-he fell what had to be at least 40 feet...maybe more." May finished, her eyes never once meeting the doctor's as she spoke, her voice dark and low.

"He hit a tree on his way down, which helped to break his fall slightly. That's why he has so many cuts and bruises, and I also believe that was how he was able to survive the fall. But there is almost definitely a large laceration on his back as he was bleeding badly when we first got to him." Birch added, making sure to give all the useful information he could think of.

The doctor nodded his head and wrote everything down on the clipboard before clicking the pen closed and placing it back into his coat pocket.

"Thank you very much. This will be very beneficial to us. I know it was probably difficult having to relive that, but you really did help Mr. Ketchum's chances by doing so." The doctor speak seriously, hoping to raise the girl's spirits.

Though, May only nodded, her eyes still not leaving their low position. The doctor nodded at the Professor before turning around, and entering the ICU.

May still hadn't moved, but Birch was looking around. He saw a sign that said 'waiting room' on the wall behind him. He nudged May, who finally looked up at him. He then motioned toward the sign. Receiving a nod from May, the two began walking in the indicated direction, the pokemon following closely behind.

Apparently, the waiting room was just around the corner, so they found it quickly. There weren't many people there, which was a good thing, May and Birch supposed. The two took a seat, not really knowing what else to do at the moment.

Torchic hopped up into May's lap, which the brunette welcomed. She began stroking the pokemon's head lightly. Pikachu had taken a seat of his own directly next to May while Mightyena and her cubs took seats on the floor. May used her other hand to stroke Pikachu's fur.

They sat in silence for 30 minutes. Then 45 minutes. Then an entire hour had gone by with nothing being said. They had no idea what to say, but the silence was really eating at them both. Looking around the room, May noticed a line of video phones off in the corner of the room. There was about 6 of them, she noticed. This made her remember what she'd promised Ash she would do for him.

Though, she wasn't sure she'd be able to do it, to recount what'd happened again.

May looked to Professor Birch, who met her gaze. "I promised Ash I would call his mother, Delia Ketchum and his friend Brock Harrison to tell them what happened. Do you think you could..."

May trailed off, but Birch knew what she was getting at. Birch forced a smile. "Sure, I'll go call them now. I'll call Professor Oak first and he can give me their numbers. Plus, I'm sure he'll want to know what happened as well."

With that said, Birch made his way over to one of the video phones and called up his old friend. It was about 10 minutes before Birch returned. May had purposefully not watched or listened into the calls, as she didn't want to witness what kind of reaction his mother and his best friend would have to the news.

Birch sighed deeply as he sat back down. Although May hadn't wanted to see their reactions, her curiosity was getting the best of her. "How did they take it...?"

The Professor sighed once again, "Not great. His mother, Delia, told me she'd be here as fast as she could and hung up almost immediately after I finished telling her what happened. Brock seemed incredibly concerned, but not as surprised as I would've expected. He told me that Ash gets himself into dangerous situations all the time, but something like this has never happened before. He said he'd call Delia and rush to Pallet Town to pick her up so that they could come here together."

May nodded at the information. She was glad that two important people in Ash's life would be on there way soon. Ash needed all the support he could get.

The two sat in silence for a bit longer before May felt the strong desire to call her parents. She was having a hard time dealing with everything, and they had always been able to help her in the past.

"I'm gonna go call my parents." May told the Professor, who nodded in response. May stood from her seat and approached the video phone. Torchic was still in her arms, but she didn't mind. The small pokemon was actually helping her calm down, if only just slightly.

May dialed her parent's home video phone number and waited patiently for them to answer. Both of her parents were home most of the time, with her mother Caroline being a stay at home mom and her father, Norman working out of their home as it doubled as the Petalburgh City Gym.

After three rings, May's mother's face appeared on the screen and she smiled as she saw who was calling. She immediately looked away from the screen and yelled, "Norman honey, May's on the phone!"

May then watched as her father also came into frame. After he sat down, the two parents finally got a good look at her daughter. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, and her face was stained with tears .

"Hi mom. Hi dad." May's voice sounded incredibly broken, worrying her parents even more.

"Honey what's wrong?" Caroline asked, overflowing with concern. Norman wasn't feeling much better.

May sniffled as her emotions became slightly more intense before speaking again, "Just...a lot has happened today..."

Norman didn't like that May was speaking so cryptically. It worried him even more, if that was even possible. "May, you have to tell us what's wrong or we won't be able to help you."

May nodded in understanding. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. "Professor Birch was doing fieldwork in the forest when I arrived at the lab, so I went to find him. A lot of stuff happened out there, and I met this guy and-"

"What guy? Did he hurt you?!" For some reason, Norman saw red upon hearing his daughter's words. He immediately built his own story of what must've happened in mind. "Because if he did I swear to Arceus I'll-"

Now it was May who cut off her father. "NO! He didn't hurt me, he saved my life!"

May literally yelled at the screen, becoming incredibly defensive over the insinuation that Ash had hurt her. She would not allow the person who'd saved her be talked poorly of by anyone, even her own father. His name would never be sullied if she had anything to say about it. Norman was taken aback, and Caroline was even more confused and concerned at the revelation.

May took a few deep breaths, knowing she had to explain everything to them. "Just...let me tell you what happened..."

And so, May told her parents everything, only leaving out small, minute details that had no impact on the overall story. How Ash had driven away the Poochyena and the Mightyena. How he'd healed them, even after they'd tried to attack them. How the two of them became fast friends, with him telling her things she very much needed to hear. She did manage to leave out the real reason why she went on her pokemon journey; she just wasn't ready to tell them yet, and with everything else going on, it just seemed like the wrong time.

And of course, she told them about the most major incident. How Ash had risked his life to save her. How he'd fallen, to what she thought was his death, just to make sure she would live.

As May spoke, tears began flowing from her eyes once again, though her voice remained relatively level.

"He saved my life... and now he's hurt. He's hurt really, _really_ badly all because he felt the need to save me. He was willing to give his life for mine..." It was this sentence where May's voice finally cracked. Another emotion was starting to rear its ugly head within her at what'd happened.

Guilt.

"May...where are you right now?" Norman questioned. Though, he had a pretty good idea...

"I'm with Professor Birch at the Littleroot Hospital. The doctors have been working on Ash for about an hour and a half and now, we're just waiting for any news."

Caroline looked at her daughter in compassion, "Honey, I'm so sorry all of this happened...I almost don't believe it. I'm so thankful that this Ash boy was there to help you."

"Yeah..." May agreed lowly, her voice clearly indicating that she was thinking something toxic.

Noticing her tone of voice, Norman questioned her, "May?"

May thought over what to say and if she should say it. Though, she quickly realized she should; she'd called her parents for support and help after all.

"It's just...It's my fault that Ash is hurt..." May started, her voice coated in despair. "He only got hurt because he was trying to save me!"

As May began crying once again, her parents looked on at their daughter with great concern. Her blaming herself for this definitely wasn't going to help anything.

"May, it's not your fault." Norman said, gaining May's attention through her tears. "Ash made a decision, a very noble decision, to do anything it took to make sure you were safe. You couldn't control the situation. You didn't cause this. It's no one's fault."

It _is_ my fault,dad!" May rose her voice in anger. "If I had just moved away from the edge of the cliff right after I picked up Torchic, then Ash wouldn't be an inch away from death right now!"

May's bluntness surprised even herself and as she was reminded of Ash's condition. This caused her sadness to grow even more. Her parents weren't sure how to react to their daughter's outburst. They recognized that with the state she was currently in, there would be no changing May's mind.

"May...Why don't you just come home, and we can help you deal with thi-" Caroline was cut off, once again by her daughter.

"NO! I'm not leaving until I know that Ash will be okay! He saved my life mom, and I have to be here for him!" May spoked with such conviction that it surprised her parents. By saving her life and befriending her so quickly, it was obvious that this Ash boy had made a significant impact on their daughter already. They knew that there would be no way to change May's mind, so both parents only sighed in response.

"...Okay, honey. Do you think we could talk to Professor Birch for a moment?" Norman questioned softly. May nodded and left the screen after telling her parents she loved them, with them saying it back in response. It was a matter of moments, Birch's face appeared on the screen.

"Norman. Caroline. How are you?" Birch asked plainly.

"I think I should be the one asking you that, Adam." Norman responded, causing the large man to sigh.

"It's been a tough day, for all of us. May has been very strong though. And she's starting to come around to pokemon, I believe. That Torchic that was on her lap really likes her a lot and the feeling is very much mutual." Adam Birch was hoping that some positive news would shed some light on the dark day.

Caroline and Norman smiled weakly. Of course, they were happy with that particular development, but it was hard to show any joy when their daughter was in such pain.

Changing the subject to what they wanted to talk to Birch about in the first place, Caroline spoke, "Adam, May refuses to leave that boy's side. I know it's asking a lot, but do you think you could look out for her for the time being? Make sure she's okay, help her get through this, anything you can do would be greatly appreciated."

Birch smiled genuinely for the first time in a while as he nodded his head, "Of course, Caroline. I'd be more than happy too. Plus, I was the only other person at the scene so we sort of understand what the other is going through. I promise to look out for her."

"Thank you, Adam. We owe you big time. And when Ash wakes up...thank him for us. And hopefully someday soon, we'll be able to thank him in person." Caroline finished, with Norman nodding in agreement. Birch told them they didn't owe him anything and agreeing to do what they'd requested before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

The Professor walked back over to May and took his seat next to her. She'd taken to staring at Pikachu in the seat next to her, whom was still crying over his trainer's condition. May's eyes were red and every once in a while, would produce a tear or two that would fall onto her legs.

Birch sighed at the sight. It was very obvious she was having a hard time with this If he was going to be there to help her, he decided now was a good a time as any to start.

"May." Birch started calmly, drawing her attention. "Ash is gonna pull through. We just have to have faith. We have to believe that Ash is strong enough to will himself through this."

May looked at Birch, but didn't know what to say. Recognizing that May wouldn't be responding, Birch continued.

"I know neither of us have known Ash long, but I can tell that he's a fighter. That he's been through hardships and overcome them. And from what Professor Oak has told me about him, everything I just said is the absolute truth." Birch finished, hoping May would respond to him this time.

May thought over what the Professor as said. The two sat in silence, with Birch watching May, who had turned her head and looked down at her lap. After a few moments, she looked back up and meet the Professor's gaze.

"He's definitely a strong person. I know I just met him but after talking with him for a while...I feel like I've known him my whole life. That's why this has been so hard. He's already made such an impact on me." May finally responded to Birch. It seemed his words were getting through to her. This realization caused Birch to smile slightly.

"He really respects you a lot, you know? He could tell by your actions and the way you carry yourself that your a good person." Birch's words caused a small smile to form on May's face. She'd come to the same conclusion as him and May felt great that she had made such an incredible new friend so quickly.

"And when Ash gets out of here, I can tell that you two are going to be the best of friends. It's clear that you're a lot alike." Birch added, hoping to raise her mood more.

The smile still remained on May's face as she responded, "Yeah, I got that feeling too. I really would like to get to know him better, and he told me he wanted the same."

May felt her cheeks heat up as she thought about what she'd said in a different light, a more 'romantic' one. But because her cheeks were already red from crying, Birch didn't notice. And besides, it was much too early to even think about stuff like that; they'd only just met after all.

"You know what Professor? You're right. Ash _is_ going to get through this. And I'm gonna be there for him when he wakes up." May said, her confidence in the man growing.

"Pika! Pika Pi!" Pikachu even felt more confident upon hearing the Professor's words, and May's agreement . He always had faith in his trainer, but he was just so scared for him.

"That's the spirit, May. Now all we have to do is wait." Birch told the brunette.

And wait they did. And even though their confidence in the boy making it out of this alive had grown, they were still incredibly worried and stressed. Of course, there would always be a seed of doubt, no matter how confident they were.

Hours went by with no updates on the boy's condition. The two talked about menial things to try and pass the time but every once in a while, a long silence would overtake them, causing their thoughts and worries to nearly overwhelm them before they'd be able to push them to the back of their minds once again.

Pikachu and Torchic had taken to chatting with each other; even the Mightyena and her cubs got involved in the conversation. If there was no other positive of the day, May was glad to see that Torchic had seemingly gotten over her fear of Mightyena.

May was also surprised that the Mightyena and her cubs were still here. The obviously were very appreciative of how Ash had treated them earlier and wanted to make sure that he would be okay. Being reminded of Ash's kind nature warmed May's heart and made her smile genuinely. It wasn't easy to find a person like that nowadays.

The group didn't hear a word until 10:00 pm, 6 long hours after they'd arrived. As soon as the doctor from earlier appeared around the corner and walked into the waiting room, both May and the Professor shot to their feet and approached him. The pokemon also watched and listened intently.

Neither May nor Birch could read the doctor's expression, and that scared them greatly.

"How did it go doctor? Is he going to be okay?" Birch asked quickly.

When the doctor sighed, fear engulfed everyone present. They waited with bated breath to hear what the doctor had to say.

"Well...we did a lot of tests to see exactly what was wrong, how badly he was injured. We found he had some interior bleeding, which was a bit of a problem. Though, we managed to get that under control and while it could still be a problem, we're not worried about it much at the moment."

The doctor took a pause to allow his words to sink in. This was good news it seemed, so it should've calmed everyone down, but it didn't. It was obvious there was more that the doctor had to say.

"He had a long, deep gash on his back going from his right shoulder blade almost all the way down to his hip." The doctor used his hands to demonstrate the length of the cut. It was so immense that it actually shocked May and the Professor. "We managed to get that stitched up and it shouldn't be a problem. He'll have one hell of a scar though. He also has a minor concussion."

The doctor took a moment to think about how to phrase what he was going to say next. He could sense the emotional distress in the room and as a doctor and a human being, he wanted to make this as easy as he could for these people and pokemon.

"We had to perform surgery to repair the injuries he suffered to his internal organs. The surgery was a success, but... I'm afraid Mr. Ketchum is currently comatose." The doctor stated, deciding that being blunt was the best way to do this; he'd learned long ago that dancing around a tough subject always ended up making things worse in the end.

The man's words made May audibly gasp. She immediately felt hot tears return to her eyes.

Birch, who was taken aback by the news as well, asked the question on the minds of everyone in their group, "When will he wake up...?"

The doctor sighed once again, "It's not so much a matter of 'when'...more a matter of 'if'."

Everyone's eyes widened in horror as they processed the doctor's words May's hand shot to cover her mouth as tears freely streamed down her face. Pikachu, who'd jumped on May's shoulder when the doctor entered the room, was sobbing wildly.

Birch was too shocked to react. He'd truly believed that Ash was going to be okay but now, he wasn't so sure. He knew he still had to have faith, it was just so much harder to do after this revelation.

"What do you mean 'if'?!" May didn't know how she managed to speak with all she was feeling, but she did. And she spoke very loudly. Angrily.

The doctor took no offense to the outburst; he knew she wasn't angry at him, but the situation.

"Mr. Ketchum was hurt very seriously from the fall. Honestly, it's a miracle he survived in the first place. We've done all we can for him right now. We've given him a chance. For the time being, all we can do is monitor him and wait for something to change." The doctor finished softly, trying to lessen the blow.

Birch, whom had his head down, spoke lowly, "...What kind of odds are we looking at?"

"I'd say about...30 percent chance of survival...maybe less." The doctor told the two, striking their emotions further. "But that kid is a fighter, I can tell you that much. He should've died from that fall but somehow, he's still with us. I truly believe that if anyone can survive this, it would be Mr. Ketchum."

Both May and Birch nodded at the doctor's comment, not saying a word.

"Are either of you related to Mr. Ketchum?" The doctor asked. Even though he knew of the Professor, he didn't know if he was somehow related to Ash. And of course, he knew nothing of the girl.

Seeing them both shake their heads In the negative, the doctor sighed. Though, he quickly decided that he had to allow them to do this. He could possibly get into trouble for this, but he felt he needed to allow them to be with their friend.

"We usually only allow immediate family to stay with the patients, but I think we can make an exception this time. You two can go back and see him if you would like. Stay as long as you want, we don't have too many patients at the moment. He's in room 103. And this probably won't happen but if anyone in a suit and tie asks, you're his uncle and you're his sister. He would be a higher up coming to check up on things." The doctor added before taking his leave, disappearing behind the doors that led to the ICU.

The two humans and the pokemon stood still in complete silence for a few moments, allowing what they'd just been told to fully sink in. Tears were shed by all, even Mightyena.

Without saying a word, May walked through the ICU doors. Seeing this, Professor Birch and the other pokemon followed.

The quickly found room 103. Birch and the pokemon saw May standing still in the doorway. Birch knew that it had to be her emotions from actually seeing Ash in such a state that'd made her freeze.

May only moved to enter when Mightyena gently nudged her rear with her head. As everyone entered, May grabbed the nearest chair and pulled it up to the side of Ash's bed.

Everyone immediately took notice of how pale Ash was. How vulnerable he looked. It was such a stark contrast to how he'd been just hours earlier. It was very difficult for May to see him like this. As soon as May sat down, Pikachu jumped from her shoulder on to Ash's bed, curling up in the space between his legs.

After Pikachu settled in, May took Ash's right hand with both of her own and put her head down so that their hands were touching her forehead; her hands were missing the gloves she had on previously as she opted to only wear them when it was cold. She quickly looked up again, her lips quivering before returning to her previous position.

"I'm sorry, Ash. I'm so sorry..." May muttered, her voice low and full of despair.

Torchic looked up at May from the floor in sadness. She was sad for Ash, but she was also sad seeing one of her first real human friends in such a state.

Birch stood against the wall closest to the door and watched the scene in front of him. He didn't know what to do, what to say, and that frustrated him greatly. With no idea of how to act, he simply allowed May to talk to Ash and hold onto his hand tightly.

They spent the next hour in these positions. May had moved a few times, sometimes running her hand through his hair or gently caressing his cheek, but she always ended up right back at his hand.

After the hour had passed, Professor Birch looked to the clock hanging in the room. As he noticed the time, he thought it would be a good idea for the two of them to leave for the night. After the events of the day, they definitely needed a good night's sleep. And plus based on the doctor's words, Ash most likely wouldn't be waking up tonight.

The Professor approached the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn her head to look at the man. Even while looking at the Professor, she never let go of Ash's hand.

"May, we need to get some sleep. You can stay at my place for the night. We should leave and come back in the morni-"

"No!" May cut the man off vehemently before returning her gaze to Ash's face. "I'm not leaving his side. I owe him at least that much."

For some reason, Birch hadn't expected this response from the brunette. "May, the doctor said he won't wake up... for a while. Us not being her for he night won't hurt anything."

May didn't respond immediately, nor did she look back at the Professor. 30 seconds had passed before May addressed the man again.

"You can do whatever you want Professor, but I'm not leaving Ash here alone... He saved my life. The least I can do is be here for him. And when he wakes up, I want to make sure I'm here so that the first thing he'll see is a friendly face. That the first thing he'll hear is how grateful I am to him."

Professor Birch was going to retort, but he knew there would be no use in trying to argue. Plus, May was an adult. He couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do.

May heard Professor Birch walk out of the room without a word, causing her to sigh. Though despite her thinking he'd left the hospital, the man returned a few minutes later with a number of blankets in hand. He'd gotten them from one of the hospital employees, whom was happy to help them out.

May looked at the man in surprise. Birch just smiled in response. "I just thought that if we're going to be staying here, we should at least try to be comfortable."

May smiled at the man in appreciation as he placed one of the blankets over her shoulders. She could see now why her parents were such good friends with this man, why they spoke so highly of him all the time. He truly was a good person.

Birch put down two blankets side by side for the Mightyena and her cubs to use. Torchic had opted to sleep on Ash's bed as well, though she was positioned closer to May than anyone else.

Birch took the final blanket for himself and sat himself down against the wall. He was exhausted, and he fell asleep almost instantly, even in what had to be a not so comfortable position.

May stayed up for another hour or so, just watching Ash. She was replaying what'd happened that day over and over but unlike before, she was only focusing on the good parts of the day.

When Ash had faced off against the Mightyena to get them out of that tree. The moments where herself and Ash had talked and connected so deeply. The parts where they joked around. Where he encouraged her, motivated her, reassured her.

How he'd saved her

To be honest, she still couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe anyone would put their life on the line to save someone they'd just met, even if they had connected almost immediately on a deep level. And yet, Ash had done just that. He cared about her well being so much that he was willing to die to make sure that she was safe. If Ash wasn't here in front of here, May doubted she would've been able to believe that such a person even existed.

While a part of her still felt guilty about what'd happened, it also made her feel incredibly special. Incredibly cared for.

Incredibly loved.

And Arceus, she wanted nothing more than for him to wake up. The most important thing was obviously that he would be healthy once again, but May also had other reasons for wanting him to exit the state he was in.

May couldn't think of anything worse than losing someone whom you'd connected with so intensely. Someone that made you feel as if you were lifelong friends, even after just one meeting. May wanted nothing more than to get to know Ash better, and knowing Ash wanted the same made her feel that much more special.

She really wanted to see how their relationship would continue to develop, and she could only do that if he woke up.

At this time, the exhaustion of the day finally caught up to her as May yawned. Looking around, she noticed everyone else in the room was already asleep.

May looked to Ash's face one more time, "Please come back to us, Ash. We care about you. And I promise I'll be here for you the whole time...because I know that's what you would do for me."

As May finished whispering, she placed her head down on the bed, her hand still connected with Ash's and a small smile on her face.

* * *

 **A/N: As promised, her is the next chapter just two days after the first one. And like I said, chapter 3 will be coming in two days time on the 9th. And I feel I should also say this: if after a chapter is posted and it gets a good number of reviews, then I'll release the next chapter the day after the aforementioned one was posted. Think of it as a way to encourage your feedback, as that is truly the most important thing to a writer. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait to hear what you all have to think! See ya!**


	3. Hello

**A/N: Chapter 3 is here a day early! Keep up the great support and I'll almost surely do this again in the future!**

* * *

How to Change a Life

May's eyes began to flutter open as she heard voices just outside of the room. Trying her best to wake up quickly, she looked at the clock hanging from the wall. She was surprised to see that it was already 11:00am. She usually never slept this late, but the previous day's events must have exhausted her more than she'd thought.

She then brought her eyes back to Ash, hoping that by some miracle, he would be awake. Though when she looked at him, she wished she hadn't gotten her hopes up. He hadn't shifted at all, and his eyes were still closed. May sighed in disappointment.

"Pika-chu pikaka." May turned her head toward the bottom of the bed and met Pikachu's gaze. Torchic was sitting next to the yellow pokemon, smiling at her. Pikachu tried his best to give a smile as well.

Seeing the two pokemon made May smile slightly, as she reached with one hand to pet them both momentarily. It was then she noticed she still held Ash's hand. And even though she'd been holding it for hours, she still refused to let go.

She then remembered the voices that she'd heard from outside of the door. Curious as to who it could be, she turned her head and looked out the open door. The only person she could see was Professor Birch and half of another man. She was sure she'd also heard a woman's voice, she just couldn't see her from her current position.

Before she could even think to go see who was there, the three people entered the room. As there was a man and a woman, May assumed that this was Brock and Ash's mother Delia. She was actually a bit nervous about meeting them at the moment, and she couldn't exactly place why.

Delia, May noticed, was an incredibly beautiful woman and looked almost too young to be the mother of a 19 year old. From looking at her, it was easy to tell that Delia and Ash were related as they shared a lot of the same facial features. The only imperfection she could find on the woman were that her eyes were slightly dark and puffy, indicating that she'd been up all night worrying about Ash and traveling to get here.

The man, Brock, May remembered, was tall and dark skinned man. That being said, May could tell he he wasn't quite as tall as Ash. Above all else, his most notable trait was his eyes. They were squinted tightly, to the point where you couldn't see his eyes at all. May wasn't sure how Brock was able to see like this...

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed happily as he hopped from the bed and into the newly arrived man's arms.

Pikachu then jumped into Delia's arms, "Hi there Pikachu."

Delia spoke with as much enthusiasm as she could force out of herself.

As they still didn't have a clear view on Ash yet, Delia and Brock's eyes landed on May. Stepping forward, Delia smiled at the young brunette.

"You must be, May. My name is Delia Ketchum, I'm Ash's mother." Delia started politely. The woman then looked to see that she was holding her son's hand. "Thank you for staying with my son as he recovers."

May followed the mother's line of sight and seeing what she was looking at, reluctantly let go of Ash's hand. She then stood up to properly greet the woman.

"Yes, my name is May Maple. It's um, nice to meet you." May was sincere in her words, but she was also still the slightest bit nervous. The two shook hands and shared a smile before Brock stepped forward.

"My name's Brock, I'm Ash's friend." Brock outstretched his hand, and May took it and gave it a friendly shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Brock." May stated kindly. She wanted to make a good first impression on Ash's friends and family.

After the greetings were out of the way, Brock and Delia finally approached Ash's bed completely. They'd purposely forced themselves to wait to look at the raven haired trainer as they were both scared as to what they mi true extent of his injuries.

As he took in the sight of his best friend so weak and injured, Brock's face contorted to one of great worry and sadness. Delia was heartbroken at seeing her baby boy in such as state. She forced her face not to change much but on the inside, her emotions were flaring.

The woman moved in closer to her son's face, moving her hand to caress his cheek. Everyone else in the room could only watch on in deep sadness. No one could imagine how it would feel to see your son in such a way. If May was feeling as badly as she was, then she couldn't even begin to imagine what Delia must be going through.

"Oh, Ash..." Delia whispered, her voice full of despair.

Herself and Brock had talked to Ash's doctor before they entered the room. He'd informed them of the extent of his injuries and also told them about his chances of survival. Delia knew that it wasn't looking good for the only real family she had left in this world...

But despite this, much like Professor Birch, Delia knew that having faith was the only way to get through this. So even though she was having to fight through her intense emotions of worry and despair, she was still able to pull out a smile as she stroked her son's cheek.

"Please wake up soon, honey. You have a lot of people here waiting for you." Delia spoke sweetly, hoping her words were somehow getting through to him. It was the same hope that May had felt the previous night when she'd spoken to him.

After a few minutes, Delia pulled back from her son and smiled at the others in the room. She then noticed the Mightyena and her cubs on the floor next to her. Looking to Birch questioningly, the Professor explained everything that'd happened.

He'd wanted to be concise about what'd happened when he'd explained what'd happened to Brock and Delia over the phone, so he'd left out some of the things that'd happened before Ash had fallen. Plus, Delia had hung up almost immediately after hearing that her son was injured; she had no idea about the Mightyena situation.

Delia, along with the others who'd already either heard, or experienced the story, listened in. When they listened to it once again, they all realized just how crazy it truly was. Brock couldn't help but laugh a bit as the story of the Mightyena's role in what'd happened wrapped up.

He noticed he'd drawn questioning stares from everyone in the room, so he decided to explain himself.

"That's just so like Ash. It's exactly what I'd expect him to do. Everything, from healing Mightyena to risking his life to help you, May. It's just very... _Ash_." Brock spoke with a smile. He really admired the man whom he considered a brother. He knew there was no other on this Earth like him.

May, who seemed the most curious about the boy and why Brock had said what he did, spoke up, "What do you mean, Brock? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Brock shook his head, indicating that he had no problem sharing, "Well...let's just say that you're not the first person Ash has saved."

The revelation caused May to gasp and her eyes to widen. Birch had said the other day that Ash had been through some things and overcame them, but she never expected something like this. Though as she thought about it, she really shouldn't have been surprised. Even just knowing Ash as much as she did, it very much sounded like him.

"Ash has never been one to back down from anything. He's been the one to get us through some really tough spots and he's saved people and pokemon alike. He's saved the lives of me, countless other people and pokemon, as well as our friend Misty Waterflower. For some reason, he has no fear when it comes to risking his life for others." Brock revealed to the young brunette

May was again amazed and beyond impressed by the boy. Though, another feeling began to build up inside of her as well...

Jealousy.

When she heard Misty's name, she immediately recognized that it was a girl and for reasons unknown to her, knowing that Ash had saved her and cared for her made her more jealous than she would've expected. Though, she quickly suppressed the feeling, getting over it as quickly as she could; that really didn't matter at the moment.

"I tried my best to raise my son to always be a protector. That he should always help those in need wherever he could. I'm so incredibly proud of what he did. I just wish these dangerous situations would stop finding him so often." Delia sighed. "But I guess it can't be helped."

Brock found himself giggling again, "Yeah, I agree with you there. Trouble just kind of has a way of finding him."

May, who was still processing what she'd been told, felt an even more tremendous amount of respect for the boy laying in the hospital bed before her. If there was any doubt that he was a one of a kind person before, there certainly wasn't now.

May met the gaze of the young mother, gaining her attention before speaking, "Mrs. Ketchum, I haven't known Ash for all that long, but I feel confident in saying that you've raised Ash to be a great man. He truly is one of a kind."

May spoke what was on her mind, wanting to give credit to the mother for helping shape who Ash was today. Delia smiled and even blushed lightly at the high praise she was receiving.

"Thank you, dear. And please, just call me Delia. You've obviously become good friends with my son already." Delia stated kindly.

May turned around and looked at Ash, "Yeah, we have. I only met him yesterday, but I feel like I've known him my whole life. I've never connected with anyone like this before."

May was just letting out whatever thought was coming to her mind as for some odd reason, she felt comfortable enough around these new people to do so. Though, she supposed it was because they were the friends and family of Ash, and she assumed that they had to be good people because of it.

"Yeah...Ash tends to have that sort of effect on people." Brock told the brunette, who turned around to face him and smile in response. It was very obvious that Ash was just an incredibly likable person.

At this time, a loud, drawn out yawn was heard throughout the room. Everyone looked to the source to see that it had come from Professor Birch, whom smiled embarrassingly at all the sudden attention.

"Sorry about that. I slept on the floor last night and didn't get very restful sleep. I guess I'm just a little tired." Birch explained.

"Professor Birch, why don't you head home and get some rest. I think you could really use some quality sleep." Delia suggested. Birch was ready to jump at the suggestion, but he quickly remembered his promise to Norman and Caroline .

Birch leaned in and whispered in the Delia's ear as he didn't want to make May upset by making her think her parents were treating her like a child.

"I would love to, but I promised May's parents that I would watch out for her for the time being. She's adamant about staying by Ash's side until he's 100 percent better." Birch told the woman. "Oh, and you can call me Adam by the way."

Seeing that the two older adults were whispering with each other, Brock and May started a menial conversation of their own, with May introducing the man to all of the pokemon present.

Delia let a small smile form on her face upon hearing the Professor's words. It was nice to know that Ash had made such a good friend in May already. "Adam, I promise to look after her while we're here. I'm sure Brock will as well. We won't be leaving until Ash is completely healthy and since May won't be either, we'll be able to keep an eye on her."

The Professor let out a sigh of relief, "Delia, you truly are a lifesaver. I really appreciate it."

Birch then pulled away and addressed the rest of the room. May had just introduced Brock to Mightyena, as well as her cubs, and the man was petting them when Birch began speaking.

"I'm going to head home and get some rest. Are you sure you don't want to come with me, May?" The Professor asked once more. But as he'd expected, May immediately shook her head in the negative.

"Yes Professor, I'm sure. Like I said, I'm not leaving until Ash has recovered completely. And I mean that with every fiber of my being." May spoke with conviction, showing everybody just how serious she was about this. Again, Delia found herself glad that Ash now had this caring woman as a friend.

Professor Birch nodded before speaking up once again, "Okay. Well then, I'll be going now. It was a pleasure to meet you Brock, Delia. I'll be back everyday to check on things. And if there are any developments, please let me know."

Everyone nodded, even the pokemon, and were about to turn around and face Ash once again when Birch remembered one last thing he wanted to do. Something that he hoped would help May suppress her sadness for just a moment.

May watched in confusion as the Professor approached her. When he stopped, he began rooting around in his bag that was hanging across his chest by a long strap. It took a few moments before he finally pulled out a pokeball.

"May." Birch started, holding the pokeball up at face level. "This is Torchic's pokeball. I want you to have it, to have Torchic as your first pokemon. That is, if you that's something you'd want."

May felt a huge smile overcome her features as she nodded immediately. "Thank you, Professor! I wouldn't want to have any other pokemon be my first."

Despite what she wanted, May still had to make sure that Torchic would be okay traveling with her. With that in mind, she turned toward the chick, whom was smiling brightly and hopping around on the foot of the bed. May took this as good sign.

"Torchic." May got the pokemon's attention, causing her to calm down and listen intently to the brunette. "If you come with me, you should know that we probably won't be doing much battling as being a trainer isn't my goal. And I can't promise you that things won't get boring every once in a while. But what I can promise you is that no matter what happens, you'll always have a friend in me. Someone who cares about you. You'll never have to be scared or lonely again...So what do you say, Torchic? Would you like to be my first pokemon?"

"Torchic!" Torchic exclaimed as she jumped into May's arms. Everyone smiled at the heartwarming scene as a new bond was formed.

"Then welcome to the family, Torchic." May spoke happily, hugging her new pokemon close before placing her back on the bed.

Birch took notice of the Mightyena and her cubs as he turned to leave. He knelt down to their level, gaining their attention.

"Would you guys like to come home with me? I could feed you, and give you a warm place to sleep. And you could come back here with me everyday if you want."

Mightyena looked to each of her cubs. Seeing them nodding at her, Mightyena turned back toward the Professor and nodded happily.

"Hey guys, Mightyena and her cubs are going to come with me. But we'll back back tomorrow." Birch finished as he finally walked out the door, the 4 pokemon following behind him.

"He seems like a nice man." Brock mentioned offhandedly.

"He is. He's actually an old friend of my family. If he hadn't been with me when all of this went down, I probably would've lost it. And Ash more than likely would've di-" May's voice caught in her throat as she realized what she was about to say. This seemed to bring everyone back to the somber reality of the situation. If Birch hadn't been there, there was no way that Ash would be alive. Hell, she would probably even be dead as there.

May put her head down in despair as she took her seat next to Ash's bed and grabbed for his hand once again; it comforted her and she hoped it was somehow doing the same for him.

Both Brock and Delia looked to each other in sadness before Brock pulled a seat up next to May, with Delia doing the same on her other side.

"He's gonna pull through, you know." Brock said levelly. May looked to her right to see the tanned man sitting next to her, his face holding a small smile. "I've known Ash and traveled with him for more than a year now, and I can safely say that he's never encountered any obstacle that he couldn't overcome. I just really can't see this being the thing that keeps him down."

May turned her gaze to the young mother as she felt the woman's arm fall across her shoulders.

"May dear, Brock is right. My Ash is the strongest person I know. And even though I'm terrified of this whole situation, I still believe that he will be alright in the end." Delia spoke delicately, sensing the incredible emotional duress the young woman was experiencing. Of course she was very much worried about her son, but she knew him better than anyone. That's how she knew that he was going to make it out of this alive.

"I'm just glad Ash found a friend in you. He has always only chosen the best kind of people to be his friends, and he's proved that again with you. And even though you've only just met him, it's clear that you care about him greatly and that warms a mother's heart. Knowing that her son has good friends around him is every mother's dream. So thank you for that, May." Delia told the brunette with a sweet tone of voice.

May stared at the woman, astounded by her words. Normally, this would've flattered her but at the moment, May had another thing swimming in her mind. Something surely toxic. Something, she realized, was part of the reason why she'd been so nervous about meeting these two important figures in Ash's life.

The guilt she'd been feeling earlier had returned full force now that she was looking Ash's mother directly in the eye. Earlier, she'd come to realize that what happened wasn't her fault but now, she was doubting herself once again. These thoughts swirled in her mind as she spoke, forcing tears to pour down her face as her lip quivered.

"I really don't deserve your kindness, Delia..." May started, her voice low and coated in sadness. Delia's face twisted to one of both confusion and worry as she listened to the brunette intently. "After all, it's my fault Ash was hurt in the first place..."

It finally made sense to both Brock and Delia after May had spoken. They knew the story, they knew exactly what'd happened, and they could see how May rationalized blaming herself for this, but they both came to the same conclusion.

That it was ridiculous.

In no way was May at fault here.

"May, none of this is your fault. You didn't choose for things to go the way they did. Things just happen. It was Ash's decision to risk himself to help you. He knew what he was risking when he made that decision, so please don't feel like any of this is your fault. Ash really wouldn't want you to." Delia finished, some tears of her own coming to her eyes as she was forced to picture Ash willingly putting himself in harms way and falling.

"But-"

May started, fully prepared to retort, but was cut off by Delia. "No buts. I'm telling you, this is not your fault. I'm Ash's mother and I'm telling you this. Don't you think that if you were at fault, I would be the first person to tell you?"

Delia paused, knowing that she'd gotten through to the girl in front of her. She just had to bring it home.

Delia turned her body to face May's, placing both hands on her shoulders, forcing her to turn as well. With the twos' entire bodies facing once another, their eyes locked, Delia spoke again, "It's obvious by what you've said and what Ash did that even though you've only just met, he cares about you a great deal. And I can tell that you feel the same about him. That's why he was so willing to risk himself to save you. That's why when he wakes up, I know for a fact that he will regret nothing about what happened, and want nothing more than to continue being your friend."

May clearly saw the sincerity in the mother's eyes, causing her tears to stop flowing. Though, they did start again soon after, though this time, they were tears of relief. She was so scared that this was her fault, that Ash would hate her because of this. That his mother would want her nowhere near her son. But hearing these words of reassurance, from Delia of all people, was extremely comforting.

May managed to gather herself and nod at Delia in appreciation, "Thank you."

Delia only smiled and nodded in response. May then turned herself back toward the bed, with Delia doing the same.

"I just hope you're ready." Brock started cryptically, catching May and Delia's attention Seeing this, Brock smirked, "When you become friends with Ash, you're friends for life. No matter what happens, you'll always have someone who cares for you. I just hope you're prepared for that."

Hearing Brock's words made both women smile brightly. May nodded in approval before she spoke in a happy tone of voice, "I think I can live with that."

The three shared a short chuckle before they all looked back to Ash. Their smiles became sadder, but they definitely were in higher spirits than they were earlier. All of them fully believed in Ash's ability to recover. That at some point, Ash would reawaken and rejoin them in the land of the living.

The only issue still in their minds was exactly _when_ this would happen.

The three companions and two remaining pokemon sat around for the rest of the day, just watching over Ash as he lay dormant. Nurses would check in on the man periodically and do a little something here or there but overall, nothing major had occurred. He hadn't gotten worse, but he also hadn't gotten better...

At different times throughout the day, Brock had gone and got food for everyone from the hospital's cafeteria. May hadn't realized it, but she hadn't eaten for over 24 hours and yet, she still wasn't very hungry. She guessed the stress and worry of everything killed her appetite. Though when food was presented to her, she gobbled it down with gusto, causing Brock and Delia to laugh. This made the brunette redden in embarrassment and smile slightly.

"What? I was hungry..." May joked.

"It's not that. It's just, you eat exactly like Ash does." Delia revealed, laughing quietly. May's eyes widened slightly as she looked to Brock for conformation. Seeing him nod, May giggled.

"Well, Professor Birch said that we did seem like we had a lot in common. I felt that way too when I first met him." May spoke, smiling as she found another thing that proved her theory that herself and Ash were very similar people. She'd never met anyone who could rival her eating prowess, so it was very cool to find someone who apparently could.

Delia nodded at the brunette, "Yeah, I can see it too. From what I can tell, you two have very similar personalities. Though, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how much you two actually have in common when he wakes up."

May smiled sadly at the woman and nodded her head in agreement. She didn't know exactly why it still affected her so much, but she absolutely abhorred being reminded that Ash was still comatose. She knew that he was, so why did it bother her so much when someone would say it aloud? She supposed it was because just when she would be able to push it to the back of her mind for a second, it would be forced right back to the forefront

After the sun had gone down, May was informed by one of the nurses that the hospital had public showers that they offered to those staying at the hospital with patients. May, whom didn't particularly have a problem with being dirty, still thought a shower sounded wonderful. Plus, she really didn't want to smell. badly Though, she was still reluctant to leave Ash's side.

As if she'd read her mind, Delia reassured her, "Go ahead, May. You're not really leaving him. You're just going down the hall for a few minutes. You're still here with him."

Delia knew how important it was to the younger girl that she was constantly there with Ash. She'd told her how she wanted nothing more than for the first thing Ash to see when he woke up to be her friendly smile. Again, Delia found herself counting her lucky stars that Ash always attracted the best types of people to call friends.

And plus, May was a beautiful girl with a caring heart. Delia could recognize that. And though they'd only just met, she could tell that Ash and May were going to be the closest of friends once Ash awoke. And who knows, maybe sometime in the future, their friendship would blossom into something more. Delia was beginning to hope that would end up being the case. Though, at this point it was much too early to even think about that.

May nodded and smiled at the mother in appreciation for allowing her the chance to shower. She was surprised to find that the women's shower was closed and that to remedy this, the hospital had split the men's shower into two sides with a massive curtain, with one being for the women. May simply shrugged and entered the shower room.

Luckily, there was no one else in the showers when May arrived. She turned on the water and waited for it to become hot before undressing and stepping in, closing the curtain behind her.

The hot water running over her body was incredibly refreshing. But no matter how good it felt, May still couldn't help but feel wrong about not being at Ash's side; she'd make this shower quick.

As she lathered her hair with shampoo, her thoughts began to wander in a direction that they hadn't yet. It was so crazy to think that had she not met Ash that day, she probably wouldn't even be alive right now. More than likely, she would've died or at the very least, ended up in Ash's current situation.

Ash's heroics had given May the chance to live her life, and she wasn't going to waste that. She'd never been more grateful to anyone in her life, and these feelings made her heart flutter. She vowed to herself right there that she would do something one day to show Ash just how much she appreciated what he'd done for her. But for now, she would simply wait by his side, hoping and praying everyday that he would wake up.

May quickly conditioned her hair and washed her body before getting out of the shower. She doubted she'd ever taken a faster shower in her life; her motivation to get back to Ash's side was truly staggering. Luckily for the brunette, the hospital had towels that they were happy to provide for her, so she didn't even have to sully the lone towel she had packed for her journey.

May quickly dried herself off, put on a fresh set of clothes, and walked quickly back to the room. Upon hearing her enter, Brock and Delia looked to the door to watch her walk in.

Brock looked at the clock, surprised by how quickly May had returned, "Geez, May. You were barely gone 5 minutes."

May's face turned slightly red and she rubbed the back of her head and giggled uncomfortably. Without even realizing it, she'd just done something that was similar to Ash.

"Well, I don't usually take long showers." May was lying through her teeth, and both humans as well as Pikachu could tell. They knew the real reason, and both were glad for it. And when it would come time for them to shower, they were sure they'd be doing the same thing.

May entered and returned to her seat before looking at the clock. It was currently 7:00pm, she noticed. Though, she supposed it didn't really matter what time it was; she didn't have anything to do except wait for Ash to wake up.

For a while, the only sound was the dull, repetitive beeping of Ash's heartbeat on the monitor next to his bed.

As Delia gently stroked Pikachu's fur, whom was on her lap, she decided to spark a conversation.

"So, May." The mother started, gaining the brunette's attention. "Do you have any idea why you and Ash managed to connect so easily?"

May blushed slightly, being surprised by the question, having not really thought about it. She'd just kind of accepted that they were able to become fast friends for unknown reasons. But now that she was thinking about it, she supposed she had some ideas.

After May composed her self, she shrugged her shoulders and smiled, "I don't really know, it kind of just happened. Ash just has an infectious personality and he's a really likable person. And while we were looking for Torchic, we talked about some stuff that I'd never been able to talk to anyone about before."

Peaking his interest, Brock spoke, "What was that 'stuff' you talked about? That is, if you don't mind me asking."

May smiled and shook her head, indicating that she no longer had trouble speaking of the subject, "No, it's fine. After Ash made me realize that what I was doing was right, I have no problem sharing it anymore.

With that said, May went on to share what the two had talked about. After she finished, Brock became happy that his best friend was able to help May. Delia was simply proud of her son. There was no better feeling in the world than knowing that your son had grown up to be a good man.

"Okay, it makes sense now. He was able to change your perspective on things and realize that what you were doing was right. That your dream was your own and could be anything you wanted it to be." Brock stated, causing May to smile and nod in agreement. "He actually did the same for me when I first met him."

May was curious as to the circumstances of Brock and Ash's meeting after hearing what Brock had said. Brock could tell that May was waiting for him to continue and so he did, smiling at the memory.

"I used to be the gym leader of Pewter City." Brock's revelation surprised May, but she said nothing as she waited for the man to continue. "Ash lost to me the first time we battled, but came back the second time and beat me handily, using only Pikachu both times. I was very impressed with his ability to adapt and overcome the challenge of facing a rock type gym with only an electric type pokemon."

Brock paused to take a breath and make sure his new friend was following along. Seeing that he held not only May's attention, but Delia's as well, he continued.

"After the battle, I invited him to have dinner with us. I have a lot of siblings you see, and I was the only one who could take care of them as both of my parents left when I was younger. Ash helped me see that I couldn't let my true dream die. My dream of becoming a pokemon breeder. And the same day this revelation hit me, my dad returned home. He finally accepted responsibility and was able to look after my brothers and sisters and reclaim his spot as gym leader. And because of that, I got the chance to travel with Ash." Brock finished with a smile. It was funny how life worked out sometimes.

"So you want to be a breeder?" May inquired. Brock nodded. "If that's your goal, how does traveling with Ash help you achieve it?"

May didn't mean to be rude, she was just genuinely curious. Knowing what little she did about breeders, she assumed that they had to take classes or something, which she imagined would render them stationary.

Brock didn't seem to take any offense to her question, "Traveling with Ash has allowed me to see all kinds of things that have helped me expand my knowledge on a lot of different topics. Plus, I'm always learning new things from Ash, not just about pokemon, but life as well. And the same is true the other way around; I like to think I've been able to teach Ash some things as well. Plus, the things I've seen and experienced because of Ash...I don't think I ever would've been able to had I not been traveling with him. I mean, we've seen and done things that most people wouldn't even believe."

May understood now why Brock had taken the chance to travel with Ash. While she wanted to go on a journey simply to explore the world, Brock had gone on a journey to expand his mind. To learn all he could about the world of pokemon. And surely that would help him become a breeder in the future. But May was hung up on what Brock had said last. She was once again curious, this time about just what Ash and Brock had seen and done.

"What do you mean, 'things most people wouldn't believe.'" May questioned with great interest. She really enjoyed hearing from Brock about himself and Ash.

Brock quickly looked to Delia, whom he notice had her gaze fixed on Pikachu whom was still laying in her lap, not really paying attention to what he was saying.

Brock was glad of this. He would have no problem telling May about their many amazing adventures, but he didn't want Delia to hear. Ash told his mother most everything about his journey, but he'd purposely left out some the more...extreme things that they'd encountered, for her sake.

Drawing his eyes back to May, Brock responded, "I'll tell you later, okay?"

May was slightly confused as to why couldn't just tell her now, but she didn't press any further. If he didn't want to tell her right now, then she would respect his wishes. Though, she would definitely be sure to bring it up again.

May turned her body to face Ash once again. She watched the man sleep as she slowly stroked the head of her new pokemon, whom was seated on her lap. After a while, May began to feel tired. Sleeping in a chair didn't provide the most restful sleep, but she was more than willing to do so for Ash. She looked to the clock and saw it was only 6:00pm at this point. Though with nothing else to do, she supposed a nap wouldn't hurt anything.

"Hey Brock, Delia. Would you mind if I rest my eyes for a while?" May asked politely.

Both Delia and Brock smiled at the brunette in response. "Of course, dear. It's obvious that you really need to catch up on your rest after everything that happened yesterday."

"I'm pretty tired too. I might actually take a quick nap as well." Brock added while stretching his arms above his head, yawning in the process.

May nodded at the two and placed Torchic next to Pikachu, who'd reclaimed his position on the bed between Ash's legs before she rested her head on Ash's bed. Once again, she grabbed for his hand and took it in her own. She let a soft smile form on her face before she closed her eyes. Sleep claimed her almost immediately.

May's eyes snapped open. Quickly she sat up and looked around the room, her breathing heavy. Realizing where she was, she let out a deep breath and calmed herself, focusing on getting her breathing back under control.

"Nightmare?" A voice questioned. Brock, May realized. It was slightly difficult to see at first, but her eyes were quickly adjusting to the darkness of the room. Plus, the moonlight was shining through the window of the room, illuminating it more than one would expect.

Before she answered Brock, May looked to the clock, seeing that it was midnight. She cursed herself for allowing herself to nap for so long. Now she'd have a hell of a time trying to get back to sleep for the night.

Her eyes then returned to Brock, "Yeah...just a nightmare. What're you doing up?"

May tried to push what she remembered of the terrible dream out of her head, but she was having a hard time doing so.

"I took a nap too, remember. I woke up about an hour ago and just haven't been able to go back to sleep. I think you might suffer the same fate." Brock told the brunette. The man's mind then shifted back to what he'd asked previously.

"Want to talk about it?" Brock offered. This is how his parents had handled him when he had nightmares as a kid. He also did the same thing when his brothers and sisters would have bad dreams.

Sighing, May responded, "I just kept reliving it. The rope breaking. The branch snapping. Ash falling. It just kept replaying over and over again." May paused, her eyes low. "It made me remember how helpless I felt. How I couldn't do anything. I couldn't save him like he did me. And seeing him fall...I've never been so terrified in my life. I've lived a pretty sheltered life up to this point, and I've just never witnessed anything like that before."

May was getting tired of crying, so she forced herself not to when she noticed that tears were building up in her eyes. Somehow, she managed to hold them back, but Brock was still able to hear them in her voice.

Brock sighed and scooted his chair slightly closer to May's, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I actually know what you're going through. I had similar nightmares after something that happened on our journey." Brock started. Now that Delia was asleep, he felt comfortable telling May of their past adventures.

Brock pulled his hand away just before May shifted in her chair to face the man. Brock also opted to scoot back a bit from the brunette.

"I did say I would tell you about the things we've experienced on our journey later. And well...it's later." Brock said plainly. May's interest was peaked, especially after hearing that Brock had gone through something similar. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it could've been that caused it.

"I didn't want to tell you all of this in front of Delia because Ash hasn't told her some of things that've happened to us on our journey." Brock continued. May tilted her head in confusion. "Some of the stuff we've been through...Ash just didn't want his mom to worry more than she already does. And these specific events would definitely make her do so."

Now, May was beyond interested. For Ash not to have told his mom about this when she could sense how close they were, these things must've been big.

"Normally, there would be no way that I'd be telling this to someone that I'd only just met today, but I can tell by all you've told us that Ash trusts you completely, which means I do as well." Brock added, causing May to smile. Though, she was beginning to get a little impatient. Even though she knew she shouldn't be, she just _really_ wanted to hear these stories.

"Well...I guess I'll start with the thing that shook me up the most. What caused the nightmares I was talking about...And I feel I should say, this is going to be hard to believe, but I promise that everything I'm about to tell you is the truth..." May nodded her head at Brock's words, trusting him completely. "It all started when Ash got an invitation to partake in a tournament at New Island, a small landmass off the coast of Kanto. The weather was terrible, almost hurricane like, and all of the ferries were forced to stop running because of it, but Ash and a few other trainers that were invited were adamant on making it to the tournament, so we used our water pokemon to get to the island, which was dangerous in it of itself. Me and our friend Misty were really hesitant about doing this, but Ash managed to convince us. But it turned out that the harsh weather was all just an elaborate test."

Brock paused momentarily, allowing May to process his words.

"A test? What do you mean?" May questioned. She was totally engaged in the story, and Brock hadn't even gotten anywhere near the main part yet.

"Well you see, the mastermind behind the tournament turned out to be a pokemon. Mew's clone, actually...Mewtwo." Brock trailed off, not knowing how May would respond to this. Would she even believe him?

"WHAT!?" May exclaimed. Though, she quickly realized that she'd just yelled and quickly looked around to make sure that she hadn't woken up Delia or the pokemon. Pikachu was the only one that even stirred, but none of the three awoke. May sighed in relief before turning back to Brock.

"I know it's hard to believe, but I promise you it's true. He was incredibly powerful and it turned out that Mewtwo had summoned up the storm in order to test the trainers that were invited to his tournament. He said that he only wanted the strongest trainers, the one's who were the most dedicated. The only trainer's he deemed worthy were those that braved the storm." Brock paused once again.

"Okay...all of this seems pretty crazy, but I still don't understand why this was so traumatizing. It's really strange that a pokemon was holding a tournament, a legendary pokemon no less, but still. Didn't Ash just compete in the tournament?" May asked, wanting to get as much out of the story as possible. She believed every word of it as she knew that Brock would have any reason to make this up.

Brock sighed before he began speaking once again, "Well...it turned out that there was no tournament." Brock looked at May again and noticed that she was extremely confused. "Mewtwo used the tournament as a guise in order to bring strong trainers to his island. He wanted these strong trainers for their pokemon. He wanted to take them...to clone them."

May's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't yell out this time; she'd learned her lesson on that front. Now she could see how this might end up becoming dangerous...

"Obviously, none of us were willing to give up our pokemon, but he had these... special pokeballs that sucked up all of our pokemon, even if they were in their ball. And I have no idea how, but he managed to clone them all. It was so bizarre seeing all of these cloned pokemon...The looked just like normal, with only slight differences in coloration and such..." Brock shook his head at the memory. "Ash was beyond furious and by this time, we'd all made our way out onto a battlefield, where we got our first good look at the newly cloned pokemon. Ash managed to retrieve all of the stolen pokemon after they'd taken Pikachu. It didn't take long before the clones and the originals began fighting one another."

"Mewtwo told us that the cloned pokemon were better, stronger than the originals, but the pokemon still tried their best to fight back. It was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. I mean, what were they fighting over? Pokemon, who should love one another, were trying to kill each other..Anyway, it was then that Mew arrived." May's eyes widened once again at the revelation. "She came to stop Mewtwo and the two became entangled in a massive battle, right along with all of the other pokemon. The only one who refused to fight back was Pikachu here."

Brock pointed to the yellow pokemon sleeping on the bed. May's eyes followed and fell upon the yellow rat as well.

"He was 'fighting' his clone, but he refused to retaliate in any way. He was taking a beating, but he wouldn't fight back. He bravely took a stand, and I think that resonated with the cloned Pikachu, as you could tell he began to feel bad for his actions. That was when Ash realized that someone had to follow Pikachu's example. To take a stand. That someone had to stop the fighting. And Ash, being the person he is, rushed in recklessly in an attempt to do just that." Brock smiled slightly as he was reminded of Ash's reckless, caring nature before his face turned dark as he painfully remembered what happened next. May took notice of this and knew immediately that she wasn't going to like what was coming.

Brock actually became teary eyed at the memory, worrying May even more. The man sniffled before continuing. "Mewtwo and Mew were about launch an attack on each other when...when Ash ran between them. Both attacks hit him directly..."

May was shocked for what felt like the millionth time that day but this time, the shock was much greater than any time before. Ash had run between two battling _legendary_ pokemon, just to stop them from fighting...

"The attack...it-it killed him. He was turned to stone right in front of our eyes." Brock had tears streaming down his face as he spoke, and May followed suit soon after. After just a few moments Brock managed to compose himself enough to finish the story. "Mewtwo couldn't believe what Ash had done. Turns out Mewtwo thought that us humans didn't care about pokemon, and only used them as tools for our own pleasure and amusement, like slaves. But Ash sacrificing himself for the Pokemon, even the clones, and seeing how all of the pokemon were deeply saddened by his death proved him otherwise."

"But...But then how is Ash here? How is he alive?" May questioned weakly. Brock actually managed a smile as he recalled the miracle that'd occurred.

"The pokemon, clones and originals alike, started crying at what'd happened. And somehow, someway, the pokemon's tears collected together and brought Ash back to life. Don't ask me how, because I have no idea. It was the closest thing I've ever seen to a miracle." Brock stopped his speech, once again allowing May to process everything that she was finding out about the boy currently laying in the hospital bed.

"Because of Ash's sacrifice, Mewtwo saw the error of his ways. He was greatly sorrowful for what he'd done, but Ash forgave him immediately. That shocked everybody since he was literally just killed by him, but that's just how Ash is. He understood that because Mewtwo was a clone, he felt alone, different...hated. But Ash didn't care that he was a clone in the slightest. He loved _all_ pokemon, no matter how they came to be." Brock finished, smiling. A smile broke out on May's face as well, once again amazed by the type of man Ash was.

"Mewtwo then told us he was leaving, taking all of the clones with him so they could live their lives peacefully. Turns out they went to Mount Quena, if you know where that is. But Mewtwo said one more thing before he left. The one thing that I'll never forget for as long as I live." Brock didn't have to dig too deep into his memory to remember the quote, as he always had it in his mind. "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."

May was given a moment to take in the powerful quote before Brock continued. "Ash was the one who made him realize this. He saved a lot of people and pokemon that day by sacrificing his life for them. Mewtwo actually locked our memories away so that we wouldn't be able to remember anything that'd happened as he was ashamed of what he'd done but a while later, we ran into Mewtwo once again on Mt. Quena. After some thinking, he decided that we deserved to remember what'd happened that day. Plus, Ash was the only human that Mewtwo trusted, he knew that Ash wouldn't go around telling people."

Brock slapped his hands on his thighs, "And that's that. Just one of our many adventures."

To say May was gobsmacked would've been an understatement. The story she'd just been told was the most amazing thing she'd ever heard. And just when she thought her respect for the raven haired trainer could get any higher, it did. And this was only one of the stories; Brock had spoken in plural.

"I can't believe Ash did all that... That you guys went through that..." May scoffed. "Well, given everything I know about Ash now, I guess I _can_ believe he did that."

The two shared a short laugh at what May had said before falling into silence. May looked back at Ash for a few moments before turning to Brock once again.

Right now, May only wanted one thing. And that was to know all she could about what Ash had done in his life.

"If you're not too tired, do you think you could tell me more?

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed chapter 3. This chapter came out a day earlier than it was supposed to because of all of the support the last chapter received. The next chapter will be a continuation of Brock and May's conversation. There's still a lot more for them to talk about!**


	4. Change

How to Change a Life

"After hearing that last story, I'm beyond interested in what else you guys have experienced." May questioned politely. Despite her desires, she would be completely okay if Brock wanted to go to sleep instead.

Brock smiled at the younger girl before responding, "I'm not tired at all actually; that nap really screwed up my internal clock. I'd be happy to share some more. Even though some of it is hard to talk about, it's nice to look back at all the incredible things we've been through this past year."

May smiled toothlessly and nodded her head. Though before Brock started, she had one question she wanted to get out of the way. She knew the subject of her question would surely be brought up again.

"Before you start Brock, could you tell me exactly who this Misty girl is? You've mentioned her a couple of times and if she's gonna keep showing up in your stories, I would like to know a bit more about her." May finished politely. Brock nodded his head in response.

"Sure." Brock started. "Misty is a friend that Ash met before me. Apparently they met lees than a day after Ash first started his journey. She's also a year or so older than Ash. Anyway, she traveled with us all throughout Kanto and went with us every time we visited the Orange Islands and the Johto region."

"Is that it?" May questioned. She'd been expecting a bit more information. What she didn't realize was that Brock had only paused to think of how to proceed.

"No, there's more to tell. Misty is actually the gym leader of Cerulean City in Kanto. That's where she is now, why she's not traveling with us anymore. She left the gym to become a better water pokemon trainer and though she didn't want to part ways with us, her sisters who were covering for her at the gym decided that they could no longer perform their duties, so Misty had to return home. That was a pretty hard goodbye for all of us." Brock recalled the crossroads where they'd all parted ways. At that time, Brock had also thought that he was parting ways with Ash as well. But he was happy to say that didn't end up being the case.

Once Brock finished, May felt the newly familiar feeling of jealousy well up inside of her. She hated it, and knew it was irrational, but she just couldn't help it for some reason.

"Were they um...were Ash and Misty a, uhh..." May started timidly, poking her index fingers together as she spoke.

"A couple?" Brock finished the sentence for her. Seeing May nod timidly, Brock couldn't help but chuckle at the brunette girl in front of him. "Nah. They were close, but never that close."

May instantly felt a sense of relief wash through her. She tried not to think about what she was feeling too much however, as her emotions and feelings confused her immensely.

"Though, Misty did have deep feelings for him." Brock continued, causing the feelings of jealously to come zooming back to her, and even stronger this time. "She threw a lot of hints his way and even though Ash can be pretty dense sometimes, I know he had to have recognized at least some of them. I think he just wasn't interested in taking their relationship to that level. Misty always had a pretty...fiery personality, and I think that intimidated Ash a bit. So no, they were never together romantically, even though I'm almost certain that Misty was in love with him. So you don't have to worry."

May blushed as she processed Brock's last statement. "I-I wasn't worried. I was just curious is all..."

May tried her best to sound truthful, but Brock saw right through her. "May...I could hear the jealousy in your voice from a mile away."

May's blush darkened as Brock spoke. While she had been slightly confused at first as to why she was so jealous of the thought of Ash being with this Misty girl, she now had a pretty good idea. And she trusted Brock, even despite the fact that she'd only known him for a day, so she knew everything she said would stay between just the two of them.

With that in mind, May sighed and composed herself. She spoke quietly though, afraid that someone else might hear her should she speak too loudly. "Okay...So, maybe I do have a bit of a crush on him. I mean, he did save my life after all! And it helps that he's easy on the eyes..."

May knew that she admired Ash greatly and was simply enthralled with him at the moment, and that a small crush was all that she was feeling. But how could she not after everything she'd learned about him? Plus, May found him to be one of the most attractive people she'd ever laid her eyes on...

"But was I really that obvious?" May questioned weakly. She didn't want something so personal to be something that people could easily read about her.

Brock, who still held a smile on his face, responded with a shake of the head, "No, not really. I mean, it was easy to see that you admired him, but that's not out of the ordinary given all he's done for you. I only really put things together when you brought up Misty. So as long as you avoid that topic, I think your secret will be safe."

May let out a silent breath of relief. This whole situation was just so surreal to her. With what'd happened yesterday. How she'd already become more comfortable with these people than anyone else she'd ever met. It was very unexpected and a bit overwhelming. Her feelings were a bit of a jumbled mess at the moment.

"It does make sense though." Brock started, breaking May out of her thoughts. "That you would develop at least some feelings for him. I mean, even in such a short amount of time he's already done a great deal for you."

May smiled at Brock's words. She wasn't as embarrassed anymore as Brock already knew of what she was feeling.

"I've just never met anybody like Ash. All the guys in my hometown...well...to put it bluntly, they just kind of sucked. They always put themselves first and were jerks a lot of the time. That's why I've never dated anyone. I didn't see the point if I couldn't see a future with the person." May paused, seeing Brock's shocked face.

"You've never dated anyone?" Brock asked incredulously.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" May questioned back to the man, noticing the unbelieving look on his face.

"Well, no. I guess not. It's just, and don't take this the wrong way, you're such a beautiful girl and from what I can tell, you have a wonderful personality. I was just surprised that nobody had ever caught your eye in that way." Brock explained his reasoning.

May blushed slightly at Brock's kind words as a smile spread across her face. She silently hoped that Ash felt the same way Brock did...

"I didn't have many friends growing up, believe it or not. A lot of people were really nasty to me when I was young that I kind of shut myself off. And it seemed like all the wrong guys liked me, and a lot of the girls hated me for some reason. I was still pretty lonely a lot of the time during my childhood." May stated. "And a few people have tried to get me to go out with them, but I would refuse every time. I didn't want to waste my time with people I didn't enjoy being around."

Brock nodded in understanding, He knew how hard it could be to find like minded people that you actually wanted to spend time with, to call a friend. But no matter what May's past had been like, she now had two great new friends in Ash and Brock, and she knew that.

Brock couldn't help but giggle once again, earning yet another questioning stare from May, "From what Ash has told me, he was a lot like you when he was younger. His biggest rival, Gary Oak, who'd started out as his friend, would bully Ash constantly. And because people saw Gary do it and he was popular, others would as well. So Ash definitely knows what you went through."

May felt herself becoming angry at the thought of someone not treating Ash the way he deserved. Those people didn't know what they were missing in not being kind to Ash.

It was at moment, May realized that this is how she should've been looking at her own situation all along, that anyone that didn't want to be her friend was missing out. As she felt her self confidence rise, she smiled. She was also glad to find out that herself and Ash had another thing in common; it would be amazing to speak with someone who understood perfectly what she went through as a child.

"And another thing that's similar about your past and Ash's is the relationship thing. As far as I know, he's never dated either." Brock stated. If it were anyone else, May would've been surprised, but since May knew what she had gone through herself, she understood why Ash might've avoided dating.

"Apparently, girls from his hometown tried to get him to go out with them, but so many of them were just so mean and conceited, and Ash wanted nothing to do with them. Not only suffering it himself, Ash often witnessed the same people bully and harass others. He told me how many fights he would get into trying to defend people. A lot of the very same people that would harass him on a daily basis." Brock chuckled as he recalled his friend's tale..

"And of course, we've met quite a few people over the course of our journey, including a lot of women. Everywhere we went, Ash had quite a bit of female attention. And while most of the people we met were lovely, he'd never do anything to pursue them. He told me it was because he needed to focus all of his energy on training pokemon, but I'm pretty sure it's more than that..." Brock finished, pondering the subject for a moment.

May felt her jealousy spike once again upon hearing the revelation of all of the female attention Ash received. Though, she really shouldn't have been surprised. He was a very attractive man and once people got to know him, it would be hard not to be, at the very least, infatuated with him. And she supposed she'd had a similar amount of attention growing up, so it really wasn't all that surprising in the end.

And after hearing what Brock had said, she realized that she may have to deal with random guys hitting on her on her journey, something she was really not looking forward to. Traveling alone would definitely be difficult in a lot of ways, with this being one of the more troublesome situations she would definitely encounter.

Noticing that a comfortable silence fell over the two after this particular conversation had wrapped up, May decided it would be a good time for Brock to tell another of his stories about their past adventures.

"Hey Brock, could you tell me another one of your stories now? We managed to get way off track here." May questioned the tan man. Neither of them were tired, even with the clock reading almost 1:00 am, so Brock had no problem with it.

And so, Brock went on to share with May quite a few stories of past adventures. He even recounted when Ash, Misty and a man named Tracey were in the Orange Islands, while Brock was spending a few weeks at Professor Ivy's lab, only to be entangled in a dark plot by a man called Lawrence involving the three legendary birds of Kanto, as well as Lugia. How had the man succeeded, the world may very well have been destroyed.

Most importantly, Brock told May about the prophecy, trying his best to remember all of it as it's phrasing was important to properly illustrate how they'd come to the conclusion that Ash was Arceus' chosen one. But when Brock revealed that Ash was 'the chosen one', she almost screamed out like she had earlier.

"You're just joking around this time, right?!" May questioned rapidly. There was just no way, was there...? That the man laying beside her on the hospital bed was the fabled chosen one that most everyone had heard of in various lore...

Brock smiled and nodded in response. "I promise you, I am not joking around. We have very good reason to believe that Ash is Arceus' chosen one. And according to the lore, there is one in every generation, and we're almost positive that Ash is our generation's chosen one."

May's eyes were wide as they moved to look at the floor and then back up to Brock. "Wow...that's incredible! I didn't even know that was real...most people think that's just a legend!"

Brock couldn't help but laugh at May's reaction. Though, Brock realized that if he'd been the one being told this, he most likely would've reacted similarly

After giving the brunette some time to get over the recent revelation, Brock continued on with the story. How Ash'd managed to get all three orbs back to their rightful places. How Lugia had aided them in saving the world. How Ash and Pikachu had nearly drowned in the cold ocean. He even spoke of the talking Slowking,.

And with that story having been told, Brock continued sharing his memories. It was strange, Brock realized, how so many of these stories had taken place on their many short visits to the Johto region. He didn't dwell on that for long, however.

Moving on, he then told May about their time with Molly and Entei. He told her of how Delia had been kidnapped to be Molly's new mother. The unknown. Everything. Had she not heard the other stories beforehand, May doubted she would've believed this one. Everything Brock said sounded like the plot to some incredible work of fiction.

May was then told about Celebi and her forest. How with Suicune's help, they'd managed to save it. By this time, she was much more inclined to believe what Brock was saying, though the whole time travel thing was still a stretch in her mind. But May knew he wasn't lying; there was no way Brock could make up something so intricate right here on the spot. She was disgusted by the pokemon hunter and was glad to hear that he got what was coming to him. She was happy to hear that everything worked out in the end. Not to mention amazed at the fact that Celebi was actually able to travel through time, and bring people with her no less.

Though, like Misty, Brock and Ash, she wondered what became of the boy named Sam...

Finally, Brock told the woman of their most recent adventure. How they'd gone to the city of Alto Mare in Johto so that Misty could participate in the world famous water pokemon race that was being held there in town. May, having been from Hoenn where the Eon dragons were originally said to be from, was shocked to hear that her new friend's had actually met them.

Brock made sure to emphasize just how much Latias liked Ash, which made May smile. When Brock mentioned Team Rocket, May realized that she'd heard the name before. She was sure that she'd heard it in passing once or twice on the news. Since the organization had no real presence in Hoenn, she didn't know all that much about them. But from what she'd heard from this story, she knew that they were definitely not good people.

She couldn't believe how far Team Rocket was willing to go just to get the Soul Dew. They were willing to drown and entire city just for their own selfish desires. May was glad that they were able to save the people of Alto Mare.

Though, she only felt this way as Brock had left out just how they'd managed to do so...

May noticed tears come to Brock squinted eyes, causing her to look at him in concern. Brock waved her off and told her he was fine and explained. "I just wish the story had a happier ending..."

"What are you talking about, Brock? It sounds to me like everything worked out in the end. By the way, how were they able to get another Soul Dew?" May realized that this key piece of information had been left out.

Brock sighed deeply before answering, "Latios...They got the new Soul Dew from Latios. He...sacrificed himself to save Alto Mare. As the city's protector, he knew that doing so was the only way that he could save the city and its people."

May gasped at the revelation and covered her mouth with her hand. She could now see why tears had come to Brock's eyes. She couldn't imagine how Latias must've felt. Or Bianca and Lorenzo for that matter.

Wanting to lighten the mood, Brock managed a toothless smile and continued. "But everything really did turn out okay. Latios was reunited with his father and mother, and Latias, while she surely misses her brother, is still happy protecting Alto Mare as long as she's with Bianca and Lorenzo. And we plan on going back and visiting them every chance we get. Just seeing Ash always makes Latias ecstatic. She'd actually want to come with us, to be Ash's pokemon, but she simply couldn't leave her duties as protector of Alto Mare"

May let a smile form on her lips upon hearing Brock's words. She was also shocked that Ash had nearly gained a legendary pokemon for his team. Soon after he spoke, Brock let a smirk appear on his face as he remembered one last thing.

"There's just one thing we're still not sure of..." Brock started, purposefully being cryptic; he wanted to tease his new friend.

"What is it, Brock?" May asked innocently, having no idea where he was going.

"Well, right before we left by boat back to Kanto. The girl I told you about ran up the dock and gave Ash a drawing Bianca made of Ash and Pikachu. Then... she kissed him." Brock revealed nonchalantly.

"What!?" May didn't shout, but she still felt the need to exclaim what she'd said.

"The thing we aren't sure of is if it was Bianca or Latias. I mean, Latias obviously liked Ash an incredible amount, but did she even know what a kiss meant? And Bianca had shown signs of being interested in Ash... Either way, we try not to think about it too much because it would drive us crazy. We're definitely going to have to ask next time we go back." Although he'd brought this up only to tease May, Brock was actually genuinely curious as to the answer to this question.

May tried to hide the jealousy from her face, but she knew Brock could read her. That was when she realized that he was teasing her, causing her to mock pout.

"Very funny, Brock..." May feigned being upset In reality, she was beyond happy to have somebody to have this type of friendly banter with. A genuine, good friend. She couldn't wait until she could have conversations like this with Ash again.

Brock kept his laughing quiet. "But don't worry, it was just a kiss on the cheek. I'm pretty sure Ash hasn't had his first kiss yet, actually..."

Brock mentioned the last part offhandedly, but it still managed to peak May's interest.

" _I sure wouldn't mind being his first kiss. Or him being mine for that matter..."_ May thought to herself, before blushing bright red at her thoughts.

Even though she'd accepted her crush on the raven haired trainer as fact, she still felt weird about it. She'd only had a few conversations with him and yet, he was already making her feel this way. May decided to voice her concerns, thinking maybe Brock would be able to ease her mind.

"Brock, can I ask you something?" May questioned. Brock responded in the affirmative, so May continued. "Is it...weird that I may have feelings for Ash. I mean, I can count the number of conversations we've had on one hand. I know it's just a small crush, but still..."

Brock took a few moments to think about what May had said, worrying the brunette slightly. Though she immediately felt better when she saw Brock shake his head in the negative.

"I certainly don't think so. What you two have already gone through together is more than most people go through in a lifetime. Plus, I'm sure that everything me and Delia have told you about him has helped and I can assure you, everything we've told you is true and not embellished whatsoever. Plus, he just has a very lovable personality and it you said that you two connected unlike anything you'd ever felt before. And if you want my opinion, I think Ash will appreciate that you aren't simply infatuated with him should you decided to ever share your feelings with him. That you actually like him for the person he is, not just how he looks, or by something he did like winning big a tournament." Brock finished.

"How do you know I'm not just infatuated with him?" May questioned honestly. Her emotions were all over the place, so maybe that was all she was feeling.

Brock shook his head again. "I've seen what infatuation looks like, and this isn't it. I just think you have a simple crush. For now, at least..."

May ignored Brock's last sentence as she processed what he had said. She didn't think that she was simply infatuated with Ash and with Brock agreeing, she was almost entirely sure that was she was feeling was actually something more than that.

A crush.

" _My first real crush..."_ May said to herself in her mind.

May looked toward Ash. He was still in the same position as before, his lips parted ever so slightly. For the first time, she realized that Ash wasn't wearing his hat. Looking to a table off to the side of the bed, she saw the hat that Ash had ben wearing when they first met, glad that Birch must've picked it up before they left the scene of the accident. May stood up, leaned over and grabbed the cap, looking it over. She then ran her thumb over the emblem on the front before setting it back down.

Brock, whom had watched the whole scene with a smile, let out a quiet yawn. Despite his new found tiredness, he didn't want to go to sleep and leave May awake by herself, and May noticed this.

"Brock, don't stay up on my account. If you can get back to sleep, then you should definitely do so." May spoke kindly.

Brock smiled appreciative at the brunette, "Thanks, May. You should try to get some sleep too if you can."

May nodded, responding that she would try very soon. With that said, Brock slouched in his chair and closed his eyes. It took a few minutes, but Brock eventually fell into a deep sleep.

May looked to the clock and saw that it was now past 3:00am. She'd been so enthralled by the stories that time had passed incredibly quickly. May sighed before she stood up and stretched her arms over her head, cracking her back in the process. This move caused a yawn to escape May's lips, which she more than welcomed; even she had nothing in particular to do, she didn't want to be exhausted the next day.

As she took her seat once again, her eyes fell back onto Ash. Immediately, a small smile overcame her features.

If she needed any more confirmation of her crush, the fact that her heat rate increased tenfold when she simply looked at the man in front of her was it. With what Brock had said about him, how everything she'd been told about Ash was the absolute truth, she was more than excited to experience it more in person when he finally woke up.

May yawned again. Before she placed her head down on the bed to sleep for the rest of the night, she reached back over to the table and grabbed Ash's hat. Hesitantly, she took off her bandana and put the hat on backwards before grabbing Ash's hand, and laying her head down next to him.

She didn't know why she'd put on his hat, but it served to comfort her for some reason. In fact, the comfort she felt from both the hat and holding Ash's hand was what finally allowed her to fall back into a deep sleep.

May awoke when someone began shaking her shoulder. Her eyes opened tiredly as she looked to see who was waking her up. It took a few moments for her vision to become totally clear but when it did, she noticed that it was Brock who'd woken her up. May looked at the man questioningly.

"May, your parents are here. They're out in the waiting room with Delia." Brock revealed. May just then noticed that Delia was not in the room with them at the moment.

May was surprised to hear that her parents were here, but she still welcomed the news. Even though she had only just left and she hadn't really even started her journey, it was still nice to see her parents whenever she could, especially after all that'd happened these last couple of days.

May nodded at Brock before she stood up and stretched. She then looked to the bed to see her new friend Torchic hopping around, obviously wanting to come with her to meet her family. May smiled and happily picked the small pokemon up. As she did this, Pikachu smiled as well and hopped on May's shoulder, which she welcomed happily.

"I'm gonna stay here with Ash, but say hello to your parents for me...Even thought they don't know who I am." Brock chuckled, causing May to smile and nod her head in response.

With that said, May began her walk to the waiting room. It didn't take long for her to reach the room and when she did, she immediately saw her parents standing and talking with Delia. May approached, and Caroline saw this over Delia's shoulder. Immediately, she smiled and waved her daughter over. Seeing this, both Delia and Norman looked at the girl and smiled as well. May hugged both of her parents before pulling back and greeting them.

"Hey mom. Hey dad. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?" May questioned.

She loved seeing her parents of course, but a part of going on a journey was to become more independent from her family. To finally stop being treated like a little kid and being checked up on all the time. Though, she quickly remembered that she hadn't even really started her journey and after everything that'd happened, she knew that they were just worried. All in all, she was happy to see them.

"We're actually here to talk to Professor Birch about some things. And we wanted to make sure you were doing alright. We saw how torn up you were the other day on the phone." Caroline told her daughter, whom nodded in response. "We know Professor Birch is at his house, but we decided to stop here first to check in on you."

Norman looked at her daughter apologetically. "I'm sorry if it feels like we're babying you. Its's just after what you went through, we wanted to make certain that you were okay. You may be getting older, but you'll always be our little girl and we worry about you."

Just like always, the connection May had with her parents allowed them to read what she was feeling. May simply shook her head in the negative, but appreciated that they understood that she needed her freedom.

"Don't worry about it, I'm glad you're here." May then looked to Delia. "I see you've already met Ash's mom, Delia."

Caroline smiled happily. "Oh yes, Delia and I were talking for a while before you arrived. She's a very lovely woman." She then turned her head to face the young mother. "And I want to thank you again for what your son did for my daughter. I don't know what I would've done if I would've lost May. And I am so sorry that he was hurt, but please know how much we appreciate what he did for our May. Your son is an incredibly brave and noble man and has more than earned our respect and eternal gratitude."

Delia smiled at the kind words directed at her son. "Thank you, Caroline. That really means a lot. And while I obviously wish none of this would've happened in the first place and Ash hadn't gotten hurt, I'm glad that he was able to help your daughter."

Norman, who had his arms by his sides, decided to chime in. "Ash certainly is quite the impressive man. I would very much like to meet him when he wakes up and thank him in person."

"And that's saying something. Norman here isn't exactly the easiest person to impress, especially when it comes to boys around May's age." Caroline teased her husband, causing May and Delia to giggle and Norman to pout. Though, he knew she was very much correct about this.

"Well if you don't mind, I'm going to get back to my Ash. It was a pleasure meeting the both of you." Delia spoke kindly. Before Delia left, herself and Caroline exchanged phone numbers; much like their children, they'd become fast friends. After exchanging numbers and saying her goodbyes with her two fellow parents, Delia turned around and walked with every intention of returning to Ash's hospital room.

When she was finally out of sight, May turned back to her parents. She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb before making a suggestion. "Do you want to go see him? He's obviously not awake, but you could still stop in if you want."

Caroline shook her head in the negative, surprising the young brunette, "No thank you honey. If I saw Ash how he is now, I'm afraid that I would only be able to picture you in his place, and that would just kill me. And even seeing Ash in that state, after knowing what he did for you, it would just be too much for me."

"Though like I said, we would really like to meet him in person. When he's able to leave the hospital, tell him to stop by the gym. We'll have dinner so that we can thank him properly." Norman added.

Her father's words were actually a bit of a surprise to May. When her mother had said that he wasn't easy to impress, she really meant it. Not to mention there was not a single boy in Petalburg City that he didn't damn near despise. Ash was the first boy May's age whom Norman had shown any inclination toward, as well as any interest in meeting. This proved just how grateful he was to the boy.

May nodded her head, understanding her mother's reasoning. She then acknowledged her father. "That's a great idea, Dad. Even after he's released, he'll surely need to rest up at home for a bit and this way, he won't have to go all the way back to Kanto or stay in a Pokemon Center to do so."

Both Norman and Caroline nodded in agreement. They hadn't really thought about the idea of Ash needing more rest after being released from the hospital, but it definitely made sense. And they had no problem with allowing Ash to stay with them for a while as he recovered fully. It was truly the least they could do for the man after the deed he'd performed.

"So, is this little guy your first pokemon?" Norman asked, as he reached out to pet Torchic, who was happy to receive the attention. "Good choice going with the Torchic. Because you never showed much interest in pokemon growing up, I had no idea which starter you were going to choose."

"Yeah, this is Torchic, my official first pokemon. And to be honest, I didn't know which I was going to choose either. But Torchic was there when everything happened and we just kind of bonded. After that, there was really no other choice." May finished jovially.

Both of her parents were happy that May had actually managed to connect with a pokemon. They knew May didn't particularly like pokemon growing up, and were pretty surprised when she'd told them she wanted to go on a journey. And after seeing their daughter with Torchic, they were glad they allowed her to start this journey.

Caroline and Norman then took notice of the yellow pokemon sitting on May's shoulder.

"Did you already catch another pokemon?" Norman questioned hesitantly. "But when did you have the time to do that? Plus, Pikachu aren't even native to this region..."

May giggled at her dad as he slowly realized that there was no way Pikachu was her pokemon. "No dad. This is Ash's Pikachu. We've really warmed up to each other as well."

"Pika!" Pikachu greeted the two parents in front of him happily, waving his paw at them.

The two greeted the pokemon joyfully, petting him on the head and cheeks as Caroline awed over how cute he was. Norman was also sure to compliment the small pokemon on his strength, as he'd seen him battle while watching the Indigo League a while back. It was safe to say that Pikachu very much enjoyed all the praise and attention.

"It does make sense though." Caroline started, drawing the attention of both her husband and her daughter. "I mean, you told us how you and Ash connected. How quickly and deeply you'd done so. And I remember your father mentioning one time or another that a pokemon shares the feelings and emotions of their trainer. That's why Pikachu is so comfortable around you... because Ash is."

May smiled and blushed, though light enough for it not to be detected by either of her parents. She was sure her dad had told her this at some point as well, but she'd never really cared enough about pokemon to remember it. Though, it did make sense. It would explain why Pikachu had garnered a liking toward her so fast. This also indicated that Ash felt the quick, deep connection as well, which excited May greatly; while she already knew this, it still felt great to be reminded of it.

"Well, I think we're gonna head out now. We have quite a bit to talk about with Professor Birch." Norman stated, earning a nod from May.

"Okay, Dad. It was nice of you guys to stop by. I'll let you know if there are any developments here." May responded with a smile.

"Please do." Caroline started. She hadn't mentioned it, but she noticed something a little bit off about her daughter's appearance when she'd first approached. "And what's with the hat?

Caroline pointed with her finger to the top of her head. May immediately turned a dark shade of scarlet as she realized she'd forgotten to take Ash's hat off before coming out here. She had to figure out something to say; the truth was just too embarrassing for her to handle at the moment.

"Oh...um...I got it at the hospital gift shop! Yeah, I just thought it would be nice to change up the bandana look every once in a while, you know?" May knew the way she was speaking was extremely suspicious, but it was too late to change what she'd said. She just had to hope that her parents would accept the explanation.

Norman simply shrugged in response, accepting her story without hesitation. And while her mother showed the same reaction, her mind was going in a completely different direction.

Although the hat was different in design, Caroline had seen a similar hat before and had an idea as to who it belonged to. Herself and Norman had actually bought Max a Pokemon League Expo hat, just like the one Ash had worn during the majority of the Indigo League. After seeing him do so well in the tournament, Max took a liking to Ash, and Caroline found out that he'd made the hat somewhat famous. Because of this, Ash had also become known for his penchant for hats, and had debuted the one currently on May's head in the finals of the Indigo League.

Plus, she knew that May would never buy such a thing; her affinity for bandanas was just too great. She knew the hat had to be Ash's, and she smiled to herself at the thought. Though, she wasn't going to press her daughter at the moment; she had enough on her mind as it was.

"Okay, then. We'll see you when Ash gets out of the hospital then. I love you, honey." Caroline exclaimed as she wrapped her daughter in a hug. Her dad then said he loved her as well and hugged her tightly.

"I love you guys too. And tell Max I said hey. Oh, and make sure to tell him that he'll be getting a chance to meet the _great Ash Ketchum_ sometime soon." May said these words with a fake regal accent. She knew her brother was a fan of the man she'd recently befriended, and this news would surely excite him.

Both of her parents nodded before they turned around and took their leave. After she'd seen them gone, May returned to the hospital room.

As she entered, she couldn't help but begin thinking of some things. More specifically, her mind was caught up n how long they'd been here already. She couldn't believe it had been more than two days since Ash had been injured.

During their first 24 hours at the hospital, May was sometimes able to convince herself that Ash was just sleeping; it was incredibly easy to forget that anything was wrong when not even a day had gone by. But now that it'd had been so long since he'd been conscious, it was impossible to pretend anymore.

He was very obviously in a coma, and not just sleeping off his injuries.

Brock and Delia welcomed May back to the room with simple greetings. They both noticed how May's expression had become somewhat downcast, but they didn't question it. Periodically, everyone would begin thinking negatively, or would be reminded of the severity of the situation, so they knew that May was more than likely just having one of those moments.

Hoping to raise the mood, Delia spoke up. "That's a good look for you, May. Looks even better on you than it does Ash."

May knew instantly that she was talking about the hat, which she had turned so it was being worn properly while talking to her parents about it. Both Brock and Delia giggled while May flushed pink. She knew it was just friendly teasing, but she still couldn't help but let it embarrass her.

It was at this time that May took the hat off. Holding it in her hands, she once again ran her thumb over the pokeball insignia on the hat before she looked back at Ash. She sighed deeply before returning the hat back to the table where she'd originally found it and began tying her red bandana back around her head. She was very much feeling sorrowful about the situation again so she tried her best to just continue the conversation and try to raise her mood.

May turned around to face Delia and Brock and forced a smile as she finished up tying the bandana around her head. "Thanks, I thought so too! But I do think I'll stick with the bandana look for now. Plus, Ash is gonna need that hat for when he wakes up!"

May rolled with the punches and teased back. Once again, May found herself glad that she was able to go about using such playful banter with these new people.

"So what did you and your parents talk about?" Brock questioned the brunette, making small talk. "And why didn't they come back here to see Ash? It thought they would've wanted to."

May met the man's eyes before responding. "Nothing much. I just introduced them to Torchic and Pikachu. They told me that they were worried about me, but I assured them that I would be okay. Then we chatted about some other stuff for a bit before they left to go see Professor Birch. And they didn't come back to see Ash because my mom thought it would be too difficult as she would just picture me in Ash's position. After all, that's where I'd be if Ash hadn't been there."

Brock nodded in understanding. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would feel like as a parent to think of their child in a situation like this. Brock didn't know how Delia was staying so strong throughout all of this

Though after a few moments of thinking, her realized it was her unwavering faith that Ash would once again awaken that kept her going. Obviously she was scared and worried sick, but she was still able to function because of this.

"You're parents are lovely, May. Me and your mother got along great. Even before you came, they told me how grateful they were to Ash for saving you and that they were incredibly sorry for what'd happened." Delia started, gaining the girl's attention. "And I must say, I can see where you get your beauty from, May."

May smiled at the praise. "Thank you, Delia. And you're a very beautiful woman as well. I can see a lot of you in Ash. Does he look anything like his father?"

May hadn't meant anything by her question, but it was obvious that it affected both Brock and Delia negatively. The young brunette took notice of how both Delia's and Brock faces had fallen upon hearing what she'd said. She could even sense a bit of anger in Delia's features. May was confused as to what caused this, but she knew it had to have been something she'd said.

"I-I'm sorry if I said something I shouldn't have, I-" May was cut off.

"Don't worry about it dear, it's not your fault in the slightest." Delia smiled at the girl sincerely before her face fell again though this time, it didn't fall quite as far. The look she showed was now more of a look of...disappointment?

"Ash's father is just a sensitive topic." Brock added, explaining exactly what'd caused the trouble. May instantly understood. Something had obviously happened with Ash's father, and she wasn't about to press it. It was at this moment that she realized that the anger May had seen on Delia's face hadn't been directed at her, which she was immensely grateful for.

"I know I wasn't aware of that but still, I'm sorry for bringing it up, Delia." May spoke sincerely, still wanting to apologize even though no one blamed her.

Delia smiled at the girl sweetly. It seemed she'd managed to push the bad thoughts out of her mind and she was now back to normal. "Thank you, dear. But like I said, it's not your fault so don't worry about it one bit. It's difficult for me to talk about, but with how close you and Ash are already, I'm sure he will tell you sometime soon."

May nodded at the woman in understand. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious, but she knew this wasn't her place. She really had no right to know unless a member of the Ketchum family decided to tell her. But if Ash wanted her to know at some point in the future, she would certainly allow him to explain to her what'd happened.

Wanting to get off of the touchy subject, May jumped back to what they were talking about before. "Anyway, my dad is incredibly impressed with Ash as a person, and that's really saying something. My father is very... hesitant... around people, especially boys near my age. I swear with him around, I'll probably never have a boyfriend."

All three occupants of the room laughed at the brunette's joke. May was glad that they'd gotten past the sensitive topic and brought back at least some light to the room.

It was at this time they heard something outside the room's window. The window was slightly open, and they could hear voices coming from the outside. Their room was on the first floor, so it wasn't impossible for them to believe that there could be people out there. All three occupants of the room leaned in closer, trying to listen in to the conversation.

"Why can't we just go in the front doors again?" A male voice asked.

"Because you idiot, we're still in uniform. We don't have a change of clothes. And we an't exactly go waltzing in to a place like this wearing our uniforms." A female voice was then heard.

"Would you two quit arguing and just push the window open already? I'm sweatin' like a dog out here, and that's not something a cat should ever do." A third voice was heard. It'd come from a male, with a very distinct accent.

Upon hearing that these people were coming in their window, all three became worried. Why were they coming in, and through the window no less? What uniforms were they talking about? The only ones with any idea were Brock and Pikachu. They'd realized who the three were once they heard the third being talk.

Brock reached for his Geodude's pokeball, just in case these people had come to do what he thought they had. Pikachu was also in ready position on the floor next to the man. Both May and Delia stayed back, their eyes locked on the window.

It wasn't long before a leg crossed through the window, which had been opened just moments before. A man with blue-violet hair appeared and was then pushed forward, causing him to fall into the room harshly. He was then followed closely by a woman with reddish hair and a Meowth.

Brock immediately shot to his feet as his suspicions were confirmed. "Team Rocket! I can't believe you'd try to steal Pikachu when Ash is so hurt! That's low, even for yo-"

"Relax, Twerp. We come in peace. We're not here to try to swipe Pikachu, I promise." The pink haired woman, Jessie, said. Though, Brock and Pikachu were still rightfully hesitant to believe them.

When Brock acknowledged that these people were Team Rocket, Delia recognized them from Ash's celebration party after he'd won the Indigo League. When May heard that these people were Team Rocket, she become both confused and scared. Confused as to why Team Rocket was here in Hoenn, and scared because she knew that they were an evil organization.

"Oh yeah? And why should we believe you?" Brock responded rhetorically, a sharp edge in his voice. Brock felt he had no reason to believe them; they'd been chasing them through all of Kanto trying to steal Pikachu after all. And now with Ash hurt, this would be a perfect time to strike. And Brock would be damned if he was going to let them take Pikachu.

The red head sighed as she thought of a way to prove she was telling the truth. She quickly came up with an idea.

"If I was lying, would I do this?" Jessie reached down to unclip the belt that held her pokeballs. Seeing this, the blue haired man, James, did the same. Jessie and James then handed their belts, with their pokeballs, over to Brock, who took them in surprise. "There, now there's no way we'd be able to can even attempt to take Pikachu. And don't go getting any funny ideas trying to steal our pokemon! That's our job!"

Upon seeing what Team Rocket had just done, Brock looked to Pikachu. Both were incredibly confused by their action

"If you're not here to steal Pikachu, then why are you here?" Brock questioned, now even more confused as to what was happening. He really hated the fact that he didn't understand what was going on.

"We heard about what happened to the main twerp and we wanted to come wish him well." The scratch cat pokemon, Meowth, spoke honestly. The fact that she'd just seen a pokemon speak clear english caused May to gasp.

"You're a pokemon! How can you speak?!" May asked, amazed but what she'd just witnessed.

May's words caused the attention of the three rockets to fall on her.

"Who are you? Where's the redheaded twerp?" Jessie questioned before turning her haze back to Brock. "Is this her replacement?"

"Excuse me! My name is May Maple and I'm not a replacement for anybody! I'm my own person thank you very much. And if you must know, I'm a good friend of Ash's" May retorted vehemently, causing Jessie to put her hands up in defense.

"Geez, twerp, relax. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just wondering if you were traveling with the main twerp now." Jessie said, clearly surprised by the woman's outburst

May made a 'hmph' noise in response as she crossed her arms. It was then Brock decided to take the reigns of the conversation once again.

"Okay, so you're not here to try and steal Pikachu. But why do you care that Ash is hurt? I mean, all you guys do is try to steal his best friend away from him." Brock spat coldly, still incredibly confused by the situation.

"When you put it like that, it seems so terrible..." James responded somewhat timidly. Brock just gave him a look that said 'are you kidding me?'

James let out a sigh before he decided to speak for all of them. "Look, we may have our differences and yes, we may try to steal Pikachu, but we don't want the twer-...Ash... to die or anything like that. Chasing him around is really the only purpose we have in our lives right now. Plus, he has helped us out of some pretty sticky situations in the past. So...we just wanted to come here and make sure he was okay. And to send well wishes his way. "

"As much as I hate to admit it, the twerp really has saved our butts a few times. The least we can do is check up on him." Jessie stated, her arms crossed and her eyes closed. Then, Jessie being herself, decided to add in a little bit of strange playfulness to the conversation. "Plus, I had to make sure he didn't mess up his pretty little face. It'd be a real shame to see something so perfect damaged in any way."

James glared at his partner for her comments. He was actually trying to be nice for once and here Jessie was, making it harder for them.

Ignoring what Jessie had said, Brock took noticed of how James had spoken very sincerely, which again shocked the people in front of him. Brock couldn't sense any deception in his voice. As far as he could tell, he was being truthful, they all were. Delia and May, who didn't know nearly as much about the situation as the others, were thinking this as well.

"Look, you can believe us or not but please, just tell us how he is." James added after a few moments of silence, almost pleading with the man.

Brock came to the finale conclusion that the three in front of him really just wanted to know how Ash was doing, no matter how weird that thought was to accept. That being said, Brock would still be sure to keep a close eye on the three rockets, and Pikachu would be ready to defend if needed.

"He's good, considering what he went through." Brock started, causing everyone's eyes to fall upon Ash. "He fell from really high up...it's honestly a miracle that we didn't lose him right on the spot."

Jessie, James and Meowth actually felt genuine concern for the boy. Despite them always trying to steal his Pikachu, they actually did have somewhat of an affinity toward him. When he felt like they deserved it, Ash was the only person who would actually treat them like people, real human beings, not like dirt as every other member of Team Rocket did. And him saving them had really been the first case in all of their lives where someone had shown any semblance of care toward them. Inside, they really weren't bad people, and they truly did like Ash as a person. They just had no where else to go and nothing else to do besides be a part of Team Rocket.

"He's gonna pull through though, right?" Meowth asked Brock. May realized after he spoke once again that it was going to take some time to get used to seeing a talking pokemon; it was just too weird.

Brock sighed in response. "...We don't know... The doctor said he had about a...a 30 percent chance of survival..."

This revelation made the rockets' eyes widen in shock and horror. They'd only ever seen Ash when he was strong, so this was a very stark contrast. As May and Delia were reminded of the man's chances, tears began to well up in their eyes. They'd been constantly forcing themselves to push that number out of their heads as it was a terrifying reminder to just how bleak the outcome appeared to be; that being said, they could never keep it out of their minds for long. And every time it reentered their minds, an extreme amount of pain and despair was felt by the two.

James, as he was attempting to get over the shock of the revelation, saw the two women behind Brock beginning to cry. And despite what people might think, James wasn't a heartless man. He, like most people, hated to see people sad. He decided then that it was time to say something.

"Screw the odds, of course he's gonna pull through." James started, drawing all eyes to him once again. "After everything we've seen him do, there's no way this is going to be what bests him. Even having just followed him around Kanto for a year or so, I can safely say that I know he's an incredibly strong person."

Jessie nodded her head in agreement. "Again, I really hate to say it, but James is right. The twerp is strong as can be. I mean, we've seen him keep a level head in some pretty messed up situations. Plus, he's always able to send us flying..."

Jessie and James' words resonated with the others in the room. They knew he was a strong person, but being reminded at a time like this was exactly what they needed. Brock was once again stunned by how James was acting. How all of them were acting actually. Himself and Ash always had a feeling that the trio weren't actually bad people. That they didn't belong in an evil organization like Team Rocket, and this was proving just that.

"Listen, I don't know much about you or your group, but...thank you for saying that. It's very nice to hear." May stated politely. It was strange though, May thought. She'd expected members of Team Rocket to be a lot meaner than these three were.

James nodded at the brunette with a toothless smile before Meowth spoke up. "Do you think you could tell us exactly what happened? We didn't hear the full story and we weren't in Hoenn yet when it happened. All we know is that Ash was seriously hurt."

Brock sighed and looked to May and Delia, asking for permission to tell the story with his eyes. After receiving nods from both of them, Brock complied and told them what he was told had happened. He only left out a few tidbits here and there that weren't really important to the story.

"Wow...that's quite the story." James stated after Brock had finished.

"Yep, that sounds like the twerp alright. Running into danger without a second thought. He sure can be pretty stupid..." Jessie mentioned off handedly.

Jessie's words made May's eyes narrow in anger. "Ash isn't stupid, he's a hero! He's much braver than you'll ever be. Of that much, I'm sure!" May spat at the woman, who was slightly taken aback by the outburst.

May was incredibly defensive over Ash; she wouldn't allow anyone to talk badly about him. She definitely had to be the new twerpette, Jessie rationalized.

"Geez, and I thought the redheaded twerpette had anger issues..." Jessie muttered to herself before halfheartedly apologizing for what she'd said.

"Well, like we said, we fully believe that Ash will get through this." James said. It was extremely weird for Brock and Pikachu to hear James call Ash by his actual name and not the usual 'twerp'.

"But don't think this changes anything!" Jessie added. "As soon as the twerp is back to normal, we're still coming for Pikachu."

Brock only smirked in response as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "And we'll be there, ready to send you blasting off like we always do."

Brock's words made the three rockets gulp before the decided to take their leave through the window. Before the did, they grabbed their belts with their pokeballs from Brock's grasp. Apparently, James again wasn't moving fast enough out the window for Jessie's liking, causing her to push him like she had when they were entering before. The three still remaining in the room could hear them arguing as they walked away.

Brock took a deep breath. "Well that was...bizarre."

"Brock?" May spoke in order to gain Brock's attention. Seeing that she now held it, she continued. "Who exactly were those people? I mean, I know they're Team Rocket and I got bits and pieces of info from them, but I'd still like to know who they are exactly and what kind of relationship they have with you and Ash."

Brock nodded his head before he retook his seat. He sighed before beginning. "Those three are Jessie, James and Meowth. And obviously, they're members of Team Rocket. They've been following Ash around since he started his journey after they saw how powerful Pikachu was when he stopped them from stealing all the pokemon from the Viridian City Pokemon Center."

May was actually slightly surprised that the people she'd just met had attempted to commit such a terrible crime. They really didn't seem like such bad people...

"They literally follow us everywhere we go, and it looks like they followed us here as well. We were kind of hoping that they weren't going to..." May chuckled at the exaggerated disappointment in Brock's voice. "Anyway, they're really not bad people at their cores. They just made a bad decision in joining up with Team Rocket."

May nodded her head in both agreement and understanding of Brock's words.

"But when they come after Pikachu...are they dangerous?" Delia asked with concern. She didn't want her son to be in more danger than he already consistently was. She'd seen them try to take Pikachu before after Ash had come home from the Indigo League, but that encounter hadn't lasted long enough for her to really get an impression of them.

Brock actually laughed slightly in response and shook his head n the negative. "Nah, they're pretty much harmless. More of an annoyance than anything. They never manage to actually get Pikachu and they never will, no matter how hard the try."

Delia smiled in relief at what she was told. Though she still wished they wouldn't be following her Ash around, she was glad to hear that they weren't dangerous criminals like other members of Team Rocket were known to be. Plus, she could also tell that they weren't actually bad people. She hoped they would see the light someday soon and leave Team Rocket. But right now, she was actually glad to have their support.

"That was certainly unexpected though. I never would've thought they cared about Ash at all, let alone enough to come visit him in the hospital." Brock mentioned offhandedly. "But I suppose I can understand it. Like James said, chasing us around trying to steal Pikachu is the only thing they have going for them. Plus, Ash has helped them out, and even saved their lives a couple of times."

Once again, May was amazed by the person Ash was. What kind of person would be gracious enough to help out the same people who were constantly trying to steal your best friend away from you? He certainly didn't discriminate when it came to who he would help. It takes a special kind of person to do that, May understood. The more she found out about the man, the happier May was that she'd gotten the chance to become friends with such an amazing guy.

The rest of the day went by pretty slowly. With nothing to do but make small talk, time passed by very slowly. Brock had once again opted to grab them all food from the cafeteria throughout the day, and each of them had taken turns using the hospital's showers. At about 7pm, Professor Birch returned to the hospital, with Mightyena and her cubs in tow.

"Hey, Professor. Good to see you. And you too Mightyena!" May greeted as she rubbed the head of the mother pokemon. "My parents stopped by earlier saying that they were here to talk to you. What did you guys have to talk about?"

May was curious as it normally wasn't really like them to travel all the way to Littleroot Town just to have a chat with Professor Birch. Usually, they'd wait to meet until Birch had business in Petalburg City or would just talk on the phone.

"Well, I think the main reason they wanted to come down here was to see you. They were pretty worried after everything that happened a few days ago." Birch revealed. This made sense to May; of course her parents were extremely worried about her. " We really just chatted about anything and everything. Like I said, they were mostly just worried about you."

May nodded her head, accepting the professor's explanation.

"They really are lovely people." Delia added, causing Birch to look her way and smile "I met them when they came by earlier to see May."

"Yes, they are really great people. They also have a son, named Max who just turned 14. Norman told me he's actually a fan of your son, Delia." The Professor revealed.

Delia smiled at the professor's words. "That's wonderful. It's crazy to see my Ash getting so much attention lately. I guess winning a pokemon league will do that for you. I'm just so happy for him."

Birch nodded his head before turning back to May. "Your parents told me how Max reacted when they told him that Ash would be staying with them after he was released from the hospital so he couldn't have to go all the way back to Kanto to recover."

"Oh yeah? And what did he do?" May asked with a smirk, knowing it was more than likely a pretty funny reaction.

"Apparently, he screamed like a girl. He was really excited to meet someone who's won an official Pokemon League." Birch revealed, causing May to giggled. Brock was slightly confused at something based on what'd been said.

"Wait, isn't your dad the Petalburg City gym leader?" Brock questioned. Seeing May nod in the affirmative, he continued. "Then hasn't Max met a lot of powerful trainers. I mean, I'm sure he's at least met the gym leaders of Hoenn, hasn't he?"

"Sure, he's met all of the Hoenn gym leaders since my dad has taken Max with him to meetings and such, but he's never met a person who's actually won a Pokemon League." May explained. Brock understood immediately. For a person as into battling as it seemed Max was, it was most definitely a dream to meet someone who had proven themselves to be so strong by succeeding at the highest level of pokemon training.

"Speaking of which..." Birch started, garnering everyone's attention once again. "If Ash is taking on the Hoenn league, he'll have to face your father eventually. Right, May?"

May waited a moment before nodding her head. She hadn't even really thought about that. Honestly, the idea of her journey, let alone the journey Ash was to go on, was far from the forefront of her mind. Though, it was true. Ash would have to face and defeat her father in battle if he wanted to enter the Hoenn League. Even she, who wasn't particularly interested in pokemon battling, wanted badly to see that matchup. No matter where she was on her journey, she'd try to be back home to see it.

May rarely ever watched her dad battle challengers but when she did, she would always cheer for him to show support. Though if she was able to watch the battle between him and Ash, May was certain that she would be cheering for the latter this time around. She simply wanted to be there to support him.

"That should be a really good matchup." Brock added, earning nods of agreement from around the room.

The professor stayed for about two more hours before taking his leave, with Mightyena and her cubs following suit. It seemed they had taken a particular liking to the professor and had found great comfort in his home.

The rest of the day went by relatively slowly and by the time night fell, everyone was eager to go to bed.

This same series of events took place everyday for another four days with nothing really changing. Everyday the doctor would come in and check on Ash, and everyday, he'd say that there was no change in his condition. And although the doctor never outright said it, everyone knew that the fact that Ash wasn't getting any better was a bad sign

Before they knew it, a full week had elapsed since the accident, and things were still as bleak as ever. It was becoming harder and harder to keep their spirits up, but they were holding on desperately to all the hope that they could.

At various times during this week, May would just stare at Ash and allow sorrow to wash over her for a while. She wasn't sure why she did it when looking at him made her feel this way, but she did it none the less. The sight of him still managed to make her heartbeat quicken, but only when she was momentarily able to forget that Ash wasn't just sleeping. But that never lasted long. Eventually, reality would always hit her once again, and that always struck her hard.

During the week, Ash had grown a bit of stubble on his face. Delia had opted to go to the gift shop and purchase and purchase a razor and shaving cream in order to shave his face. May thought that the scruff suited him well, but she didn't care too much. He was still incredibly handsome either way. This thought made her smile, if only for a moment.

It was on that seventh day, the end of that week, that the doctor finally told them something different. That something had finally changed with Ash's condition.

Brock, May and Delia all stood with baited breath after the doctor said that he had some news after he'd run a few more test on Ash. With all of their beings, they hoped that the next words that would come out of his mouth were those telling them that he would be waking up in just a few minutes. That he'd be back to normal as soon as he regained consciousness

But of course, life could never be that easy.

* * *

 **A/N: And there it is, chapter 4 of "How to Change a Life". Things have started to change with Ash's condition, but who knows what those changes are...? On a lighter note, May finally acknowledges that she has the beginnings of a crush on Ash. With how deeply they've connected, with them already being able to consider each other best friends, with what Ash has done for her, and what she's learned about him, I truly believe that it's understandable that she would develop a crush on him, even after this short amount of time.**

 **Next chapter will be up in two days time as always! See ya!**


	5. Loss

**A/N: Please read the author's note at the bottom end of the chapter.**

* * *

How to Change a Life

…

…

Brock, May and Delia all stood with baited breath after the doctor said that he had some news after running a few more test on Ash. With all of their beings, they hoped that the words that would come out of his mouth were those telling them that he would wake up now. That he'd be back to normal as soon as he regained consciousness

But of course, life was never that easy.

The doctor stood in front of the trio, his face unreadable as the group waited anxiously to hear what they doctor had to tell them All they knew at the moment was that something had changed with Ash, and they were impatiently waiting to hear exactly what that change was.

"Mr. Ketchum's condition is worsening. His respiratory system isn't functioning correctly, and we aren't exactly sure why. We've done all we can for him, but nothing has worked. And as his condition continues to deteriorate, so do his chances of survival..."

The breath of the three standing in front of the doctor caught in their throats as the man spoke. Tears slowly welled up in their eyes. This was definitely not what they wanted to hear.

The doctor could only sigh and look on with sympathy. This was by far the hardest part of his job, but it had to be done; they deserved to know exactly what was going on, what they now knew the outcome would be...

"Mr. Ketchum's condition will continue to worsen until...until he stops breathing entirely... The best thing you can do right now is to make peace with it. " The doctor added solemnly. He was so sad, so angry that he wasn't able to save this man. It never got any easier.

Sometimes, he really hated this job.

The only person to react to the doctor's words was Delia, who immediately dropped to her knees and started sobbing upon hearing the news. Pikachu was not far behind the mother, sobbing as he sat on her shoulder. May had luckily recalled Torchic to her pokeball for this moment, so she would be spared from the heartbreak for the time being.

Brock and May on the other hand were frozen. Brock was looking directly at the doctor, while May's eyes plastered on the ground, a look of utter disbelief present on her face.

"How long...?" Brock questioned lowly, his voice barely above than a whisper.

The doctor hesitated a moment before answering. "I give him until the end of the day...maybe sooner."

It was these words that finally caused May to react.

"The end of the day...?" May muttered quietly before her head shot up to look at the doctor. Her eyes were rapidly producing tears that fell down her cheeks, but she also held a look of pure rage on her face. "THE END OF THE DAY!? How can he only have until the end of the day!? Ash isn't supposed to die! He's too strong for that!"

"You said you would save him! YOU PROMISED!" May screamed at the doctor as buckets of tears ran down her cheeks.

The doctor became even more saddened by the reaction of the young girl in front of him. "I'm so sorry. We truly did all we could."

"Well, 'all you could' wasn't good enough, now was it?!" May spat, moving closer in the doctor to get in his face. "Go and get a real doctor to help him! Someone that can actually fix him!"

"I'm sorry, but there's really nothing-"

The doctor was cut off by May, who began screaming once again. "HOW COULD YOU!? HOW CAN YOU JUST LET HIM DIE!? YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING! PLEASE!"

The desperation in the girl's voice made tears well up in the doctor's eyes as he felt an immense amount of despair for the three people in front of him.

May was going to continue screaming, but Brock grabbed May before she could and pulled her close. May pushed away, trying to fight out of his grip. As she created some separation, she started hitting Brock on the chest, hoping this would get him to release his hold on her.

"LET GO OF ME, BROCK! LET GO! I HAVE TO FIND SOMEONE TO SAVE HIM! I HAVE TO! I CAN'T...I cant let him... die..." May's voice became almost silent as she trailed off. She stopped pounding on Brock chest and allowed the man to pull her in tightly to a hug.

Now, May simply allowed herself to cry. No, a better word for it would be sobbing, wailing in despair, dropping to her knees much like the young mother who'd done the same next to her. They were incredibly loud, and all of them doubted that they'd ever cried harder than in this moment.

Brock dropped to the floor as well and he tried to hug both women as best he could. Even though he was just as depressed as the two women in his embrace, he knew he at least had to try to be strong for them. Though, he was crying just as hard, he simply wasn't yelling out in despair as the women were.

"I-I'm very sorry..." The doctor spoke sadly as he tried his best to stop the tears from rolling down his face. He then left the room, though none of the three even noticed.

The doctor was going to go call his son, just to tell him that he loved him...

The three were locked in the embraced for over an hour, just sobbing, crying their eyes out. The aura in the room was darker than it'd ever been before, with no signs of it ever recovering.

After a while, the tears began to stop and they pulled apart from Brock. This wasn't because they were done being sad, but because they had actually run out of tears; they literally lacked that capacity to produce more at the moment.

Though, this was beneficial, they supposed. If Ash really was going to die, they wanted to see him one more time and be with him until the end.

Delia slowly approached Ash, only stopping when she reached the head of the bed. She softly caressed her son's cheek with her hand as her lip quivered in sadness.

"My baby..." Delia whispered feebly, pure and utter despair clearly evident in her voice. Pikachu took this moment to hop off of Delia's shoulders and onto the bed, directly next to Ash.

With his little arms, Pikachu tried shaking Ash awake.

"Pika Pi...Pika Pi..." Pikachu wouldn't relent, he just kept trying to wake his best friend. When he finally accepted that this method wasn't going to work, he decided to shoot a thunder shock at the man. No one was upset by this as they knew that they really had nothing to lose by trying it, as awful as it was to say. But, even that didn't work...

Upon realizing that he truly wouldn't be getting his best friend back, Pikachu began balling once again as he curled up on his trainer's chest.

May then slowly approached the bed where Delia had been. The mother stepped slightly to the side, but still had her eyes locked on her son's face.

May simply stared at him for a few moments, letting her thoughts drift to everything that she had seen and heard about the man in front of her. Without even realizing it when they'd first met, Ash was the most amazing person she would ever meet. She was certain of that. She would never have the pleasure of meeting another like him.

Of that, she was almost glad. She wanted Ash to be the only one that held her highest respect. By some random chance, they'd met and had connected so deeply. May knew now that meeting Ash was one of, if not the most important moment of her life. With only a few conversations, he'd managed to open her mind, to accept that her happiness was the most important thing. And of course...

He'd saved her life.

Though at the moment, she really wished he hadn't.

Even though she knew deep down that this wasn't her fault, at the moment the guilt was eating her alive. So much so that she rationalized that she would rather be the one in Ash's position than feel the way she was feeling right now.

May softly placed her hand upon Ash's cheek.

"Oh, Ash..." May whispered. "Why did you have to go and save me? Why couldn't you have just let me fall...? You shouldn't be the one in this situation. It wasn't supposed to be this way..."

Somehow, May had managed to produce the tears necessary to begin sobbing again. Her crying had greatly effected the tone and levelness of her voice as sadness overflowed from it. "You still have so much to do, Ash. Remember? You still have to become a Pokemon Master. A champion! You told me that was your dream... You still have to do that! You have so many more adventures to go on! You can't die...You can't..."

"Please..."

May pleaded desperately before trailing off as her tears prevented her from continuing to speak; the emotions she was feeling had stolen her ability to speak. She leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead, before she hesitantly allowed Brock room to step in.

Brock had opted to pay his respects silently. In his mind, Brock was sending his thoughts to Arceus himself. He was asking for a miracle. For Ash to be saved, somehow, someway. He was even willing to give up his own life if he had to as he knew that had he been in Ash's current position, he'd be thinking the same thing. He prayed and prayed for a miracle, but he didn't hold his breath...

A look of absolute despair soon reclaimed its position on Brock's face as he prayed to Arceus, or whatever God was there, to please let Ash be happy in the afterlife. He'd finally accepted that Ash wasn't going to make it out of this, he had no other choice.

It seemed that finally, his best friend's luck had finally ran out...

The three people didn't move an inch for hours and without even noticing it, the sun had began to set. The doctor from earlier had been periodically checking up on the three, as well as making sure that Ash was still breathing. But they never took notice of his presence. Their eyes were all glued on the boy in front of them, never once leaving the Ash's form.

After the sun had begun to set at around 7 o clock, it wasn't too long before they noticed Ash's heartbeats starting to become further and further apart. They knew what this meant, but they kept trying to convince themselves that it wasn't happening as panic set in for the three in the room. It was becoming all too real now...

The dull beeps of the heartbeat monitor filled the room, with the sound coming less and less often.

Not long after this, the only sound left in the room was that of a flat line. Ash's chest had stopped it's repetitive up and down motion, indicating that he was no longer breathing. His heart had stopped pumping.

He was gone.

Ash Ketchum was dead.

The tears came back to everyone incredibly quickly. Both Delia and May fell to their knees, their ability to stand being stolen from them by the crippling sadness that overcame them. They barely recognized that two doctor's had come in to deal with the situation. Looking at heart rate monitor, the doctor sighed and looked at his watch.

"Time of death, 7:35pm."

The other doctor nodded solemnly and wrote what the man had said down on a clipboard. While this was happening, Brock had picked up Ash's hat and placed it over his face as a sign of respect.

The Team Rocket trio, with nothing to do since Ash wasn't traveling, had opted to come back and visit the boy again. Though, they'd only just arrived at 7:34pm. They didn't have to wait long to hear the flatline through the slightly open window and the doctor announce Ash's time of death.

Jessie and James looked to each other in disbelief, tears welling up in their eyes. Meowth was no better; tears were already streaming down his face.

"The twer-...Ash...Ash is dead...?"' Jessie questioned incredulously. For the first time she could remember, Jessie actually called the boy by his real name. She felt like absolute dirt having almost called a man who'd just died a 'twerp.' These feelings of guilt and shame were incredibly foreign to her, but they were very much present at this moment.

'There's no way..." James muttered to himself. "He can't die...There's just no way..."

Jessie and James looked to each other again before they embraced and began crying in each other's arms. Meowth also joined in, hugging them both around their legs.

Inside the hospital room, the doctors were going through their procedure on what to do in this situation. Only about 30 seconds had gone by since Ash had officially passed.

The doctors had finished up everything they had to do, save for one thing. And before one of the two doctors did that one thing, he looked to the three people in the room with him and spoke sincerely.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. I know Mr. Ketchum...Ash...was a great man." None of the three acknowledged his words, as the doctor had expected, but he felt better having said this to them.

With a sigh, the doctor approached the electrical socket as he prepared to unplug the heart beat monitor so as to stop the sound of the flatline which was now doing nothing but constantly reminding everybody of the tragedy that'd just taken place.

The one doctor crouched down and reached for the plug. But suddenly, he stopped.

He heard something.

Something he couldn't believe.

 _BEEP_

…

…

 _BEEP_

The sound of the flatline was being interrupted by...a beeping.

A heart beat.

Everyone heard it, and May, Brock and Delia all looked to the heart beat monitor in confusion, barely being able to see through their tears. The heart beats were slowly getting closet together. Both Delia and May regained their footing at this time.

Though, their heads snapped away from the monitor when they heard another sound.

A groan.

Coming from the the bed.

Their eyes shot over to Ash as fast as they could to see him shift in his bed before reaching his arm up weakly and taking the hat off of his face. His eyes were still closed as he had trouble opening them after they'd been shut for so long.

No one could bring themselves to react; the shock was too great. The doctors couldn't even begin to understand how this was happening. There was no reason he should've regained consciousness, that he should've come back to life. But neither could bring themselves to question it at the moment; they were too amazed by what they were seeing.

After a few moments, Ash managed to get his eyes open. He forced his neck upward as he tried his best to scoot himself back so that he could sit higher on the bed. He first saw Pikachu, now seated on his lap, staring at him in shock. Looking up, the only person Ash could see at the moment was Brock, so he decided he would ask him the main thing on his mind.

"Is May okay?" Ash's voice was hoarse and dry, and speaking was painful, but his words were clear. It was these words that caused his mother to react, while everyone else remained frozen.

Delia rushed forward and hugged her son with all her might. Pikachu was pushed off of his trainer's lap when Delia hugged Ash, but he was still too shocked to even care.

"ASH! Oh my God! You're alive! Oh thank you! Thank you!" Oh my baby..." Ash's mother was sobbing into his chest. She began mumbling incoherent phrases that no one could even hope to understand, so Ash simply hugged his mom back. His throat was incredibly sore though, so he didn't say much.

After a few minute, Delia finally pulled back after kissing him on the forehead. Pikachu then jumped into his arms. Ash, who was feeling better about moving around now after being up for a minute or so, caught the pokemon and held him close.

"PIKA PI!" Pikachu exclaimed, happier than he'd ever been in his life. Ash giggled at his pokemon rubbed his head.

Soon after this, Brock rusher in to hug the man. "I'm so glad you're alright. You really had us worried there for a second."

Brock's feeble attempt at a joke made Ash laugh slightly. He wasn't exactly sure what'd happened but judging by the reactions he was getting, he was certain that it was not something good. Though, the only thing consuming his mind at the moment was May. He still hadn't received an answer from Brock.

May was standing behind Brock, still frozen in complete and utter shock. As Ash couldn't see her, he asked again.

"Please tell me May is okay." Ash tried to speak as forcefully as he could with his hoarse voice. It was easy to hear the amount of concern he held in his voice. The last thing Ash remembered was the rope snapping and him throwing May as best he could onto the cliff's edge; he had no recollection at the moment of anything that'd followed that moment.

Brock simply nodded at the boy and moved out of the way, finally allowing Ash to see May. A relieved smile overcame Ash's feature when he saw that the girl was okay. He noticed that she also had tear streaks on her cheeks, but he would question that later. At them moment, all he felt was relief that she was alright. Though, May still hadn't moved. Her face was frozen in shock.

"May." Ash managed out, relief evident in his voice.

Hearing him speak was what finally broke May out of her trance; she could finally believe that this was really happening. Her lip began quivering as tears returned to her eyes. She ran as fast as she could to the man sitting up in the bed and hugged him as tightly as she could, as if he might disappear if she held on too loosely. The best position to do this in was with May straddling Ash, so she did just that. But no one cared or even noticed. They were too distracted by the overwhelming feeling of absolute, unadulterated joy.

May dug her head into Ash chest and cried her eyes out. She'd never been so happy, so relieved in her life. Despite his throat being extremely sore, Ash forced himself to whisper comforting words to May. He felt that this would help her, and that's what he wanted to do more than anything at the moment.

Ash was incredibly thirsty, but he wasn't about to let go of the girl in his arms until she was ready; his needs could wait. Ash had one hand rubbing the girl's back while the other ran through her hair, knocking off her bandana, but she obviously didn't care about that at the moment.

After a while of only sobbing, May began speaking, her head still buried in his chest. "I can't believe you came back to us...That you came back to me... Thank you. God, thank you...Please don't ever leave again. I'm begging you... Just stay with us. With me... Please."

Although her voice was muffled, Ash still heard every word. And although he wasn't sure exactly what had just happened that lead to all of this, he could worry about that later. Right now he would focus on May.

"I'm not going anywhere, May. I promise. I'll never leave, I swear it." Ash spoke as best he could with his scratchy voice as he continued rubbing the girl's back.

They stayed in this position for a long while, nearly five full minutes, before the brunette finally forced herself to stop crying and pull back. Though even then, she was hesitant to do so. She was terrified that when she let go, he would disappear. That she would wake up and realize that this was all just a dream. But when she finally summoned the courage to let go...

Ash was still there, smiling his charming smile at her.

May couldn't think of a time where she'd been happier in her life. He was alive. Ash was alive. Although May had let Ash out of the hug, she still sat atop him, unwilling to move. Even when she did stop straddling him, the bed wasn't very big, so she was forced to sit on him slightly, but neither of them minded in the slightest.

At this time, the doctor moved closer to the boy. Though before he could say anything, Ash spoke to anyone who could help him out. "I'm sorry if it's any trouble, but do you think I could have some water? My throat feels like sandpaper."

The doctor nodded immediately. There was actually a bottle of water on the table next to his bed. It was slightly closer to Brock, so he grabbed it and handed it to the man he considered a brother. Ash simply smiled in appreciation, as he didn't think he'd be able to talk again without drinking some water first.

Ash chugged down almost the entirety of the water bottle before taking it from his lips and letting out a refreshed 'ahhhh'.

"That's much better." Ash said, his voice sounded much more like normal now that he'd gotten some liquid in his throat.

Now that the water dilemma was out of the way, the doctor had a number of questions he needed to ask.

"Mr. Ketchum, do you know where you are right now?" The doctor asked. Upon hearing the question, Ash looked around the room and then down at himself, noticing he was dressed in a hospital gown.

"I'd hazard to guess a hospital? But I guess that does makes sense." Ash reasoned. After all, he'd fallen from that cliff. He'd thought that was going to be the end. He was more than glad to discover that it wasn't.

"Mr. Ketchum...what's the last thing you remember?" The doctor questioned. This would be helpful to work out a timeline so that the doctor would know what he would have to explain to the boy.

"Well...I was hanging off of a cliff held by a rope with May in my arms when the rope began to break. Before it snapped completely, I threw May up to try and get her to safety. Then the rope snapped. That's the last thing I remember." Ash then looked to May, who'd been staring at him this entire time, still having a hard time believing he was real. "And thank Arceus I managed to get you out of there. You're okay, right May?"

May couldn't believe it. How could he be asking her if she was alright when he'd literally just _died_? But knowing Ash, it definitely sounded like something he would do, always putting others first. It warmed her heart more than anything ever had before and knowing that he was so worried about her made it flutter. She'd never felt so cared for in her life.

"I'm fine, Ash. All thanks to you." May spoke sweetly and sincerely, hoping to convey just how appreciative she was to him. Though, she knew she would have more time to do so later on once the doctor was gone and they got a chance to really talk.

"Do you remember anything else?" The doctor inquired.

Ash just shrugged, "I'm guessing I fell?"

Yes." The doctor replied. "42 feet to be exact. There are records of the cliff face which told me the specifics."

Ash's eyes widened as he was told just how far he'd fallen. Ash now had a big question on his mind.

"Hey, doc? ...How did I survive a fall like that?" Ash was incredibly confused at the moment. As far as he knew, he shouldn't have been able to survive a fall from that height.

"That's the thing, Mr. Ketchum..." The doctor paused before deciding it would be best to simply be as blunt as possible. "You didn't."

Ash was beyond confused by the doctors statement. It was clearly evident on his face, and everyone noticed it.

"What? Doc...what do you mean?" Ash questioned in complete and utter confusion. Ash was scouring his mind for anything he might be able to remember but it seemed no matter how deep he looked, nothing of relevance was coming to him.

Instead of the doctor, it was Brock who answer Ash's question. "Ash you...you died. You were dead for almost a full minute."

As this was said, Ash's eyes widened in surprise and a sharp breath passed his lips.

" _I...died...?"_ Ash thought to himself, not being able to believe it, even if it had happened before during the whole Mewtwo situation.

May felt the emotions she'd felt when Ash had died come rushing back to her as she was forced to recall the terrible moment. While Ash was mulling over what had just been revealed to him, he noticed the look of despair on May's face, and he could tell exactly what it was about. And even though he was beyond scared at what he'd just been told, his desire to help the girl in front of him allowed him to suppress that fear almost completely.

Her head was down, so Ash used his pointer finger and thumb to lift her head to face him. The two locked eyes before Ash smiled and spoke.

"Hey, it's alright. I'm right here." Ash started comfortingly. "I would never let something like falling off some silly little cliff be the thing to take me out. The world's not getting rid of me that easy!"

Ash tried joking around, hoping to lighten May's mode. He was happy to see that it'd worked as May smiled a bright, beautiful smile and hugged him once again.

"I'm so glad you're okay..." May whispered into his ear. She wished she could've found better words than this; she felt that 'glad you're okay' didn't properly convey just how incredibly elated she was.

"I'm glad you're okay too." Ash whispered back. The two then pulled apart and shared a smile before Ash went back to thinking about what he'd just been told.

"So I died, huh?" Ash questioned rhetorically, though he still received head nods of affirmation. Ash then scoffed. "That's gonna be one hell of a story if nothing else..."

Ash knew that joking around was a good way to not let this hang too heavily over him. If he hadn't tried to bring humor into the situation, Ash was sure he'd be terrified and cowering in a ball on the floor by now.

"How long was I out for, anyway? One, maybe two days?" Ash put the question out there for anyone to answer.

"Ash... honey, you were unconscious for a full week." Delia revealed to her son. She'd gotten herself under control a while ago and was now speaking like normal.

Ash's eyes widened once again in shock. He hadn't even thought of the possibility of him having been here for more than just a few days. But a week...? Damn...

"How long have you guys been here?" Ash asked his mother, Brock and May.

"Your mom and I got here the day after your accident and we've been her since." Brock revealed. Ash smiled and thanked the man and his mother for being there for him. Brock only shook his head. "YI don't think it's us you should be thanking. May has been by your side since Professor Birch brought you here. She literally hasn't left this hospital in 7 days. Hell, she would only ever leave this room for 5 minutes a day to shower."

Ash then looked to May in wonder and immense appreciation, who was slightly red by the praise she was receiving

"May." Ash said, causing the girl to meet his eyes. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you stayed by my side."

May reddened even more as Ash spoke so kindly to her. "D-Don't even worry abou-"

"No, May, I'm serious." Ash cut the brunette girl off, surprising her with the amount of conviction in his voice. "Even though we only just met recently, you still cared enough to stay by my side when I needed it the most. I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you did for me, but I will try for as long as I can. Having you by my side surely helped me come back, and I'll never be able to repay you for that."

May was beet red by the time Ash'd finished speaking, but she didn't care. Hearing Ash speak so sweetly, so sincerely toward her made her feel incredible. The brunette could find no words, so she simply smiled and nodded her head.

"I'm not sure how I know since I don't remember what you said, but I swear I heard you and my mom talking to me." Ash revealed, shocking the room once more as he addressed May and his mother. "Like I said, I'm not sure how I know, but I just do. So thank you."

Both May and Delia simply nodded once again in response. What could you say to something like that?

At this time, the doctor retook control of the conversation. " -"

"Please doc, just call me Ash. I'm not one for such formalities." Ash cut the man off, hoping he hadn't come off as rude. He was just slightly uncomfortable being called Mr. Ketchum. It reminded him of his father...

Luckily, the doctor didn't seem angered by the interruption whatsoever. "Ash... I don't know how to explain it. There is no reason that you should've survived. That you should've came back."

Ash looked at the man in confusion. He was sure that the doctor's had done something to revive him. "What do you mean, doc? Didn't you just use those paddle things on me or something?"

The doctor shook his head in the negative as he approached Ash and shined a small flashlight into his eyes, seeing how his pupils would react. "Ash, you were dead. We weren't going to be able to restart your heart, no matter what we tried. But suddenly, for no conceivable reason, you came back. And of course, I'll have to run some tests but for the most part, you seem perfectly healthy. And judging by the dilation of your pupils, it seems even your concussion is gone. Sure you still have some cuts and bruises, plus a large laceration on your back, but there is no way you should be able to be moving around as well as you are after a fall like the one you took."

Ash was once again surprised to learn about what'd happened to him when he was unconscious. Apparently, he was only alive due to some sort of miracle. What a crazy world he lived in...

"I guess I got pretty lucky then, huh?" Ash asked after a few moments of silence, causing the doctor to scoff.

"Yeah, I'd say so." The doctor responded. He'd always been a man of reason, so this event confused him to the point of frustration. But he knew he shouldn't be worrying about that. He should simply be glad that everything worked out for the young man. He felt a great sense of relief now that he really thought about the miracle that'd occurred on this day; he would more than likely never be able to rationalize it, and he would have to accept that.

"I'd like to run some tests now if that's okay?" The doctor requested. "Although you appear to be fine, I need to be sure that everything is alright."

Receiving a nod from Ash, the doctor left the room and returned moments later with a nurse. For the next hour or so, the two doctors and the nurse put him through a number of tests. Some were done in the room, while others required Ash to be rolled elsewhere.

Just as they thought, the doctor's couldn't explain it; Ash's respiratory system was absolutely fine now when just hours ago, it was failing. It'd healed for seemingly no reason, and much, _much_ faster than it should've been able to. It was safe to say that Ash could now be considered a marvel of medicine.

After the doctors had finished up the last test they could think of, they allowed the boy to be with his family and friends. Though before he left, the doctor that'd been helping Ash since the beginning said a few more words.

"Ash, you really are one lucky man. For some reason, you got a second chance at life, and I do hope you take full advantage of it." The doctor said with a smile.

Ash nodded and smiled toothlessly in response. "Doctor, I can't thank you enough for all you did for me. And make sure to give anyone else that helped treat me my thanks."

The doctor nodded at the man's request and took his leave. After the man was out of sight, Ash took a deep breath. The doctor was right; he couldn't take this second chance for granted. Not that he took life for granted before this event but now, his perspective was much wider and he would be sure to make every moment of his life count.

"So Ash?" Brock started, causing the raven haired trainer to look at him. He noticed the man was smirking. "How does it feel to be back in the land of the living?"

Ash chuckled at his friends words, as did the other's in the room. Now that Ash was in the clear, they felt much more comfortable about everything.

"It feels great, Brock. Not that I was before but now, I'm going to be extra sure not to waste a single moment of this life I've been given." Ash spoke with seriousness.

Everyone smiled at his words. May especially felt similarly. After seeing her friend literally die right in front of her, and after going through everything that she did, May'd really gained a new appreciation for life. It was precious, and she couldn't waste it. She'd already spent many years at home not being as happy as she could've been due to her social life, having had almost no real friends. But now, she was going to make sure to do everything she could to be happy. And with Ash and Brock around, she was certain that this would be easy to achieve.

"I definitely know what you mean, Ash. After all of this, I know that I can't waste the limited time I have on this Earth." May spoke sweetly in agreement, earning a smile from the man whom she was still partially sitting on top of.

No one spoke for a few moments, a comfortable silence overtaking the room. But Ash'd had enough of the silence, so he spoke.

"So..." Ash started. "Anything interesting happen while I was out?"

Everyone in the room thought over what he'd just ask, searching their minds for anything they could think of.

"Well dear, all we really did was sit here by your side. Not much really could've happened." Delia revealed to her son.

"Actually. There was one thing that was beyond weird..." Brock added, correcting the mother. He now held everyone's attention.

"A few days back, Team Rocket was here-"

Ash's eyes shot open as he cut Brock off. "Team Rocket!? They were going to try to steal Pikachu while I was injured!? That's low, even for them!"

Pikachu was still seated on the bed with him, meaning that they had obviously not been successful in their attempt. Ash was happy about that, but was still boiling with anger. He couldn't believe those three would stoop so low. Maybe they didn't have a good side like he'd originally thought...

These thoughts were immediately wiped out of his head when Brock spoke again after shaking his head in the negative.

"No Ash. That wasn't what they were here for." Brock revealed to the man, surprising him greatly. "Of course, I didn't believe them at first, but they let me hold onto their pokemon as a gesture of good faith."

"So...if they weren't here to try to capture Pikachu, then what were they doing here?" Ash wondered out loud, immensely confused by the situation.

Brock actually allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he answered his friend. "They heard about what happened to you and they came to check up on. Can you believe it?!"

Ash looked at Brock incredulously. "No...I _really_ can't"

After Ash had spoke, May decided to jump in, gaining Ash's attention. "Brock's telling the truth, Ash. They were all really sincere with their words and were genuinely worried for you. They said that you'd saved their lives in the past and because of that, they wanted to check up on you. Even though they try to steal Pikachu, they definitely have a soft spot for you. Obviously, I don't have as much experience with them as you do, but everything I said is the truth."

Ash was gobsmacked, shocked for what felt like the millionth time since he'd woken up. Though after a few moments of thinking, he came to accept the story. He knew May and Brock wouldn't lie to him. Plus, he trusted Brock's judgement of truthfulness if nothing else; that wasn't to say he didn't trust May, he simply hadn't known her as long. Though even despite this, Ash knew for a fact that he could trust May's judgement as much as Brock's. A smile crossed over Ash's face as it was confirmed that the trio really did have a good side.

"I guess they're not too bad after all..." Ash mentioned handedly before a ruckus was heard from near the window. Looking in that direction, they saw the aforementioned rocket trio in a heap on the floor, obviously having fallen or tripped over each other whilst climbing through the window. Quickly, they all regained their footing and shot to their feet quickly and rushed over to Ash.

To everyone's surprise, the three hugged the boy tightly.

"I can't believe you're alive!" James spoke happily, with Jessie nodding vehemently in agreement while her head was pressed into his chest. Meowth was also incredibly glad, but said nothing.

When Jessie, James, and Meowth all rushed to hug Ash, May was pushed off of the bed. She managed to catch herself and land in a crouching position, but she was irked by what'd just happened.

The hug didn't last long before two of the three rocket's pulled back and stood to their feet. The only one left was Jessie, whom was straddling the boy as May had been earlier. Though this was a bit...different.

Jessie put on a seductive look after her partners backed off, making Ash gulp in fear. He really didn't like how vulnerable he was at the moment. Or the fact that Jessie was on top of him "Thank goodness you're alright...How about I take a look just to make sure you didn't hurt that incredible body of yours."

Jessie spoke in a sultry tone of voice as her hands began to roam. Though just as she'd began pulling Ash's shirt up, she was yanked off of the man, causing her to fall, landing on her backside on the ground.

Jessie winced in pain and rubbed her tailbone as she looked to see who had pulled her off.

"OW! Who in the he-"

Jessie cut herself of when she saw the look of absolute fury on May's face. It was hard to believe that such a pretty girl could make such an intimidating face, but it sure shut Jessie up and made her rethink what she was going to say.

"Geez, sorry Twerp...I didn't know he was your boyfriend..." Jessie said. That's what she'd thought, at least. Why else would she've gotten so angry at her for what she was doing. Though, she did suppose it could've just been because of how strange what she was doing seemed, especially in a room full of people.

May's expression did a complete 180 as her previously scary look morphed into a shy, timid one. Her face, which had previously red with anger still held the same color, though now it was red with embarrassment.

It took her a few moments before she could formulate any kind of response. And when she did speak, it was still slightly timid, though she did managed to hold some amount of conviction. "He's not my boyfriend..."

Jessie raised an eyebrow at the girl in disbelief. "Riiiggght."

The redheaded woman decided not to press her luck with the new twerpette; she was just as bad as the last one was when she lost her temper, maybe even worse, it seemed. She shuttered at the thought.

All eyes then returned to Ash. Noticing this, Ash snapped out of his daze. He was so frightened by what Jessie was doing to him, that he'd froze up, barely registering anything that'd happened or been said until now.

Quickly however, he recomposed himself and smiled at the rocket trio.

"Thanks a lot for coming to check on me. It was certainly...unexpected...But I appreciate it none the less." Ash finished with a smile, causing the three to respond back with smile's of their own.

"Of course, Twerp. What are we supposed to do if we can't go chasing you around, trying to catch Pikachu anymore?" Meowth asked rhetorically, making Ash shake his head and laugh lightly. Of course that'd been what they were most worried about.

James though, Ash could tell, had a look of sincerity on his face, something he'd never really seen from the man before. He'd always seemed to be the tamest member of the group, the one with the most heart, and he was showing that now.

"But in all seriousness, Ash. We're really glad that you're okay." James said politely. Ash was beyond shocked by the manner of James' speech, and even more so by the fact that he'd called him by his real first name.

Though, Ash overcame the surprise quickly enough and nodded his head in appreciation.

"But don't think this changes anything!" Jessie added loudly. "As soon as you get out of here, we're coming for Pikachu."

Ash, knowing they wouldn't be a threat to them, chuckled in response. "I wouldn't think it did change anything. I just hope you're ready to get blasted off in a whole new region..."

Ash's words made the three rockets gulp in fear, causing everyone else in the room to laugh at them. With that said, the three decided to take their leave, only to have Meowth decided to push Jessie and James out the window to get them to move faster. Ash and Brock shook their heads at the scene. They really were hopeless.

"Again...unexpected." Ash mentioned offhandedly, earning nods of agreement from around the room.

The four people and one pokemon who were left in the hospital room once again found themselves in a comfortable silence. And again, it only lasted a few minutes.

May remembered something during the period of silence. She'd returned Torchic to her pokeball back before the doctor told them about Ash per her pokemon's request; it was obvious she was really nervous about what the doctor had to say and didn't think she could handle the stress of it. She was still very young after all. Realizing that she'd want to know that Ash was okay, May reached for her pokeball.

Seeing that May was moving, Ash looked at her, waiting to see what she was doing. He didn't have to wait long to find out as she quickly pulled a pokeball off of her belt and sent out Torchic, who materialized on Ash's bed.

As soon as Torchic materialized completely, the pokemon looked to Ash. Seeing that he was awake, Torchic yelled her own name happily and hopped into Ash's arms, causing the man to laugh.

"Hey there, Torchic! I'm glad to see you too!" Ash spoke gleefully to the small pokemon in his arms and he stroked her feathers. Ash then turned back to May.

"So, Professor Birch gave you her pokeball I see. Does that mean what I think it does?" Ash question, an excited smile on his face.

May returned the smile and nodded her head. "Yep! Torchic is now officially my first pokemon!"

Ash then turned back to look at Torchic, who was now standing on his lap. "And what do you think about that, Torchic?"

"Torchic!" the small pokemon exclaimed as she jumped and then proceeded to run over to May and launch herself into her trainer's arms.

Everyone laughed at the pokemon's antics. Seeing how happy May was with Torchic filled Ash with a great amount of joy. After what she'd told him about not really liking pokemon, even partially having a fear of them, he was more than happy to see that she had found one that she truly could connect with. And now, maybe she would begin to see all of the wonder every pokemon brought to the world.

"That's great, Torchic." Ash said to the pokemon, who was now in May's arms. "I know for a fact that May is going to be an amazing friend to you."

May smiled brightly at the compliment from the raven haired trainer and nodded her head. She truly was going to try to be the best trainer she could be, even despite the fact that she didn't plan on battling any time soon.

"So, Ash?" Brock started, gaining the attention of those in the room. "When they wheeled you away to do some scans and X-Rays, did they happen to tell you when you might be able to get out of here?"

Ash nodded his head in affirmation at Brock's question. "Yeah, they did actually. I'm kind of surprised no one told you guys...But anyway, they told me I'd have to stay here for around a week for monitoring. I mean, I did die after all."

Ash was attempting to make the subject more lighthearted, but being reminded of the fact that they had actually lost Ash for a short period of time made their hearts ache once again. Though, they tried their best to hide it; they didn't want Ash to worry about them as he needed to focus o his recovery. And even if it did sadden them slightly to be reminded of the terrifying event that'd happened earlier in the day, they were glad Ash wasn't letting what'd happened keep him down. If this is how he was going to get over it, then they could handle it.

Ash arched his back slightly, trying to stretch out his back. Having been laying down on a not so comfortable hospital bed for an entire week had made him a bit sore.

"You alright there, Ash?" Brock questioned, just making sure all was okay. Ash nodded his head before he stopped arching his back and relaxed his body once again.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just kinda tight from not moving for a while. I'd really like to get up and walk around a bit. Plus, I kind of have to use the restroom..." Ash told the others in the room of his desire to move around, and was met with looks of hesitance. Ash noticed this and knew that he would have to reassure them if he was going to have their approval. Normally he would've just gotten up regardless but at the moment, he wasn't entirely confident in his ability to walk.

Ash put a pleading look on his face. "Come on guys, please? I really just want to stretch my legs. Plus, if I don't get to the bathroom soon, we're going to have a real problem here."

For some odd reason, Ash hadn't felt the need to use the restroom up until now. And surprisingly, it wasn't too bad given the fact that he was comatose for a full week; though obviously, the doctors had to have done something to take are of his bodily functions during the week he was unconscious. Though what that 'something' was, Ash didn't desire to know.

Ash felt he could hold it for a while, but it was a perfect excuse to get up and walk around, so he embellished the urgency at which he needed to use the restroom slightly.

Eventually,May nodded her head at the man and walked to the side of his bed, stopping directly next to Ash. She was planning on helping the man when he first stood up, and Ash realized this. He shot the woman an appreciative smile, which she returned jovially, before Ash began shifting his position.

He moved his body and allowed his legs to fall off the edge of the bed, his feet landing on the floor. He put some pressure on them before actually making an attempt to get up, just to gauge how he was feeling. It definitely felt strange, having not used his legs in a week, but there was nothing he could do other than get over the feeling. Plus, he had to start walking around again sometime, and he really wanted that time to be now. Even after just over an hour of being conscious, he hated feeling so helpless being stuck in this hospital bed.

Slowly, Ash began to stand up. May had one arm placed around his torso, the other with her hand on his lower chest/upper abdominals to keep him steady. Ash had his arm wrapped around the shorter girl's neck and shoulders. He made a conscious effort to not put too much weight on her; he wasn't exactly a small guy, and he didn't think May would have an easy time holding him up.

A part of him knew it would've been smarter to have Brock help him in this situation, but he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the close proximity between himself and May. Regardless of anything else, she was a beautiful girl, which made this very appealing to any man.

Of course, Ash wasn't shallow enough for that be a major part of his reasoning however. He mainly figured that knowing she most likely wouldn't be able to support his full weight would force him to push himself to get better faster. The closeness was just a bonus.

Taking a breath, Ash tried to stand up the remainder of the way. May watched and moved with the man as he stood upward. His legs felt like jelly and were visibly shaking, but he was standing upright. Granted, he was leaning some weight on May, but the important thing was that he was standing. The real problem didn't come until he attempted to take a step...

As he dragged his left foot forward, Ash's legs gave out. He'd managed to catch himself slightly, saving May from having to hold his full weight, but it was still more weight than he'd originally planned to bear on her. Though, May was holding up surprisingly well. She must be stronger than he'd thought.

After regaining his previous standing position, he slowly brought his leg back and sat down on the bed. He'd try again in just moment. Now that his legs had a good amount of blood pumping through them\ again, Ash knew that it wouldn't be long before he was walking like he was before the accident; the first attempt was just something that needed to happen so that he would perform better the second time around.

May didn't release Ash as he sat. Instead, she sat down with him, her hand still placed near his lower chest and Ash's arm draped over her shoulders.

Ash looked to the brunette, meeting her gaze, and smiled sheepishly. "I swear, I'm normally much better at this whole walking thing."

Ash's joke caused the woman to burst into laughter, and also earned hearty laughs from the others in the room. It took a few moments to calm down but once it had, Ash felt ready to try again.

"You still okay to support me, May? My legs are feeling a little more awake now, but I still might go down." Ash questioned the woman next to him. He wanted to be sure she would be okay. Without waiting for a response from May, Brock stood from his chair and approached the other side of Ash.

"I've got you, I promise. I'm much stronger than I look, you know?" May teased, causing Ash to smile and nod his head. Although he was going to allow May to help his closest friend, Brock still stood his ground on Ash's other side. If Ash's weight did end up being too much for May, then he would be close enough to swoop in and catch Ash before he fell.

"Okay..." Ash breathed. "Here we...go"

As Ash said those words, he stood to his feet. His legs still shook slightly, but that only lasted for a few moments. He waited just a bit longer to allow even more feeling to return to his legs before he even thought about moving. Though, it didn't take long before Ash prepared himself to take the first step.

He slowly moved his left foot forward and placed it on the ground. He slowly shifted his weight until most of it was on the foot that was now in front of him. Then, he took his right foot to the same spot, doing the same thing. This pattern repeated for a few steps and each time, Ash was becoming more and more capable of walking. By the time he he reached the bathroom, which was in the hospital room, which contained only a toilet and a sink, he was nearly convinced that he would be able to walk back to the bed by himself.

Though, he knew that definitely wouldn't be wise to do. He was still by no means at 100 percent, and having someone to stay close to him would be necessary, just as a safety precaution. Plus, Ash rationalized that this only needed to be for today; he was convinced that he'd be independent by tomorrow, regardless of how true that actually was.

May let go of the boy hesitantly as they reached the entrance to the bathroom. Ash could sense that May was slightly worried about letting him go and having him approach the toilet by himself, even with all the improvement he'd shown.

He smiled at the brunette reassuringly. "I'll be fine, May. I'm feeling much more normal already! Thank you for helping me here."

Upon hearing Ash's sincere words, May allowed her hesitance to wash away as she smiled at the man and told him it was no problem, and that she'd be ready to help him back to the bed when he got out. She also made sure to tell him that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Ash chuckled as he closes the door and turned on the light and fan in the room, just to add a bit of sound so that the people in the room right next to him wouldn't be able to hear him do his business. It was only about 30 seconds before flushing the toilet.

Delia, Brock and May then heard the facet turn on, indicating that Ash was now washing his hands. It didn't take long before the door opened, revealing a smiling Ash.

The man appeared refreshed and content as can be. "It's the little things, you know? Like... being able to pee without someone having to hold you up."

Ash's joke made the three laugh quite hard once again. They were immensely glad that what'd occurred hadn't effected his charming sense of humor. His personality was incredibly infectious, and May could see why he was so easy for people to befriend and become enamored with.

As she'd promised, May was ready and waiting to lead Ash back to the bed the moment he left the bathroom. Ash didn't hesitate whatsoever as he knew how serious May was about this. It warmed his heart to see that she was as such; she was only being stubborn about this because she cared about his well being so much.

Plus like he'd thought previously, Ash really, _really_ didn't mind the close proximity. Though, he had no idea that May had the exact same thought in mind; she _definitely_ had no objections either. She'd actually found herself wishing that the bed was just a bit farther away than it was...

Now that Ash was moving at a more normal pace, it didn't take long at all for himself and May to reach the bed. When they did, May let go of the man and allowed him to lay down. Ash thanked the brunette before scooting himself back toward the back of the bed so that he was sitting up.

With that out of the way, a silence overcame the room. It wasn't uncomfortable, and was simply caused by nobody really knowing where to go from here. But that didn't matter now. Ash was awake, and that was all they needed.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter 5 is in the books! And Ash is finally awake after the scare of the century. This chapter was really meant to show just how much May already cares for Ash. As I've said a million times, herself and Ash connected so deeply that they can already consider each other best friends, even after just a few simple conversations. And this chapter also showed Ash care for May as her well being was the first thing on his mind when he woke up. Though, that's something we've all come to expect from good ol' caring Ash Ketchum.**

 **There's something thats come up and I would like to address it her. For all the guest reviewers, I appreciate your reviews, but it would really be better if you had an account. As soon as I find out how to turn off guest reviews, I'm going to do so. I don't get bothered by people that leave negative reviews but when they use the anonymity of a guest review, it just seems wrong. So that's what I'll be doing.**

 **I'd also like to say that I've decided, after realizing a lot of new readers are finding my work because of this story, that I have decided that during winter break, my sole focus will be on "Facade". I know that's kind of far off but since school is starting, that is the next time when I'm going to be able to write at pretty much all times of the day. And during Thanksgiving Break (End of November for all those non-America) I will get a chapter of "A Trial of Will" out.**

 **Also, it has been brought to my attention that some people (1-2 people that I know of) have become bored with the setting remaining in the hospital. All I'm gonna say is that if you really find it that boring, then don't read it. Everything I write plays a part to the story and all of this time in the hospital is where the major amount of character development is going to happen. This story is primarily a romance story and romance stories are meant to build slowly. And I will say, there will be another couple of chapters that take place in the hospital. So if you can't handle that, then simply don't read. I happily accept all reviews and PMs, good and bad, but if you're going to criticize, I would very much appreciate it if you actually added constructive criticism because like everyone, there's always room for me to improve. So if you're enjoying the story, I hope you continue to do so. And if you don't, then you're not forced to read.**

 **While the support for this chapter hasn't been where I hoped it would be, I know that sometimes, that'll happen. Anyway, I'm gonna be posting the next chapter tomorrow rather than the day after.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Please follow, favorite and review. See ya.**


	6. Trust

How to Change a Life

A full minute hadn't even passed sine he'd returned from the bathroom before Ash sighed in exasperation. "...Geez. What did you guys do while I was out? Did you just sit around like this?"

Delia nodded her head. "Pretty much, sweetie. There wasn't really anything to do between conversations."

Ash scoffed as his eyes widened in amazement. "Wow...I can't believe you all went through this complete and utter boredom for me. Remind me to thank you everyday for the rest of my life, would ya?"

"Well, when you're as worried about someone as we were, you're not really thinking about how bored you are." May revealed sincerely after giggling at Ash's words. Sure, she'd gotten bored a few times, but that was only when she was able to force Ash's situation out of her head, and that never lasted long.

Ash smiled softly at the woman's words. Once again, he found himself touched by how much his friends and family had worried about him. May especially.

He'd met her so recently and yet, she was worried sick about him. So worried in fact that she didn't once leave his side for an entire week. Ash had felt the same connection that May had with him when they'd first met, and the two were already as close as best friends that had known each other for years, and both knew that. Ash respected May greatly, as he did all of his close friends. But now, he held an even more tremendous amount of respect for the woman.

Though, a part of him also felt incredibly bad about not only making everyone worry so much, but for the fact that he had been the reason these three felt the need to drop everything just to be by his side. His mother had things to do, and Ash wondered if Brock had even been able to get whatever he had to do at home done before he was forced to rush here to Hoenn.

And May was supposed to be beginning her journey, what was supposed to be the absolute best time of her life. And yet, May was here, sitting by his side, instead of fulfilling her dream of seeing the world.

Everyone noticed as Ash's expression fell but before they could even think to ask him about it, Ash began speaking.

"I'm so sorry, you guys..." Ash spoked sincerely, his voice full of remorse. His friends and mother immediately became confused by what Ash had just said, what he was apologizing for. "I'm sorry that I made you guys worry so much. That you felt the need to drop everything and put your lives on hold just to be by my side."

Everyone, even Brock and his mother, were shocked by the fact that Ash was apologizing for this. Though as they thought about it, they remembered that Ash always did carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Even if it wasn't his fault, he was always willing to take the blame. It didn't actually sound too unlike him. Even May came to this rationalization, having learned of Ash's character over the past week. The fact that he felt so remorseful for something that was not even close to being his fault caused her heart to ache.

"I mean, May..." Ash started as he met her gaze. "You're supposed to be out on your journey right now, accomplishing your dream of seeing the world! You could've seen so much already!"

After Ash finished speaking, May finally found words of her own. Words from her heart...

"Ash, I want you to listen to me closely..." May started sternly, keeping her gaze with the man. "None of this is your fault, and I don't ever want to hear you apologize for it again. Do you understand?"

"But-"

Ash tried to retort, but was cut off by the brunette. "No. No buts, Ash. You have done nothing wrong. Ash...You saved my life. You're my hero...my guardian, and watching you blame yourself for something that you had no control over breaks my heart."

May spoke sincerely, somehow managing to keep the color rushing to her face to a minimum. Ash on the other hand, had a full faced blush upon hearing May's kind words and soft tone.

May placed a closed fist over her heart, smiled and looked downward with her eyes closed. "If you hadn't been there...If you hadn't done what you did...I wouldn't even have the chance to accomplish my dream." May then looked up and met Ash's gaze again, her eyes filling with tears of gratefulness as she remembered what he'd done for her; it was always in the forefront of her mind. Her feelings of gratitude and joy were beginning to overwhelm her, but she wanted to get her words out before that happened. " _You_ gave me that chance, Ash. So please, _please_ don't apologize. And the world isn't going anywhere. I'll put off my journey for as long as I have to... because you and, your safety is a million times more important to me. I really care about you. We all do."

Ash actually felt tears coming to his eyes as May spoke. May's words had also caused Delia to shed a few tears. She was so happy that her son had befriended such a wonderful person. May's teary eyes remained locked with Ash's as the two shared toothless smiles.

"If I had the strength to run right now, I'd be sprinting over to give you a hug." Ash spoke through a bright smile.

May smiled even brighter and took the hint. Instead of the other way around, May quickly approached Ash and hopped on the bed and brought Ash into a deep hug.

"You really know how to cheer a guy up, Miss Maple." Ash whispered teasingly, causing May to giggle into his ear.

"My mom did teach me a few things growing up. Plus, it's easy when you just speak from the heart." May responded. At that moment, both were incredibly glad that they were so close together, as neither could see the other's massive blush appear on their face.

As they embraced, Delia and Brock stood off to the side, smiling.

"So..." Brock started, only speaking loud enough for Delia to hear. "How long you think before they get together?"

Delia's smile widened upon hearing Brock's question. "Well, given that my Ash is, well...Ash, I'd give it a couple of months before anything serious happens. But I believe it's definitely inevitable."

Brock nodded in response. "Yeah, you're probably right. But I think we need to give Ash a little more credit. He really has matured over the past year. Plus...May is so obviously into him. I think this could really develop into something great if they realize it and give it a chance."

Delia didn't respond verbally, instead she simply nodded and watched as her son and the brunette broke apart from their embrace and shared a smile. Delia was incredibly happy that May had come along. And even more so that she seemed to be falling for her son...

The two broke the embrace and May crawled off of the bed, having not heard the conversation between Brock and Delia.

As May rejoined the others, sitting in her own chair, Ash remembered something that the doctors had told him pertaining to himself that Brock and his mother should know about.

"Hey guys, the doctor told me something else after telling me how long I'd have to stay here." Ash revealed, gaining everyone's attention. "He said that I'm going to have to take it easy for another 3 to 5 days after I leave the hospital. I brought up the fact that I was here on a journey and wanted to get going as soon as possible, but the doctor was adamant about this. Sorry, Brock, but it looks like I'm going to have to head back to Kanto for a few days before we're able to start our journey."

Brock smirked at the man before responding, "Actually, Ash...May's got you covered on that front."

Ash looked at Brock questioningly before shifting this same gaze toward May, who's eyes had lit up as she was reminded of what she had to tell Ash.

"When I talked to my parents when you first were admitted, I asked them if you'd be able to stay at our place in Petalburg City. I just kind of assumed that you'd need a little bit more time to get re-acclimated to everyday life once you left the hospital. And I'm sure they won't mind that you stay too, Brock." May finished.

Ash was beaming at the revelation. If nothing else, he would get to be around May for a few more days before they went their separate ways on their respective journeys. Ash had already started to consider asking her to join himself and Brock on their journey, but he was afraid that he would only serve to slow her down. Her dream to see the world most definitely moved much faster than the dream to become a champion, and he didn't want him to be the reason she missed out on anything. He had a lot of thinking to do on the subject, but he could do that later.

"That'd be great, May. I really appreciate it. And tell your parents thank you the next time you talk to them." May nodded at Ash's request. She then reminded herself that she should call her parents soon to tell them the good news. Ash then turned toward his mother. "Mom, is that okay with you? I understand if you want me to come back to Kanto so you can be with me until I'm one hundred percent again."

While Ash was prepared to fulfill whatever his mother desired him to do, he was silently hoping that she wouldn't mind him staying with the Maple's here in Hoenn. Luckily for Ash, Delia smiled sweetly in response and gave him the answer he wanted to hear.

"Of course it's okay, sweetie. You'll be almost as good as new by then. Plus, you'll have May and Brock there to help you, and I trust them. And I've already met May's parents and I can tell that they're good people." Delia finished happily. He knew her son was incredibly eager to start his journey, and forcing him to come back to Kanto for what would just be a few days seemed cruel. Plus, she didn't want to split him up from May, especially now.

May couldn't help but smile at the woman's words. Of course, she was happy that Ash and Brock would be staying with her, and not all the way in Kanto, but she also had another reason. Hearing Delia say that she trusted her made May feel fantastic. Like Ash, they'd only met a week ago, and she already trusted her with her son. Granted, Brock was there as well and he'd obviously known Delia longer, but still. She was incredibly excited for what those few days would have in store for them.

Though, she quickly realized that it was just that...a few days. After that, they'd most likely go their separate ways, with both parties going on their respective journeys. By this point, May wanted nothing more than to travel with Ash and Brock through Hoenn, but she was hesitant to ask. With her being such a newbie to traveling, and with her goal being nothing like Ash's, she was afraid that she'd just slow them down. That they wouldn't want her to come along.

She had no idea that Ash felt the exact same way.

Irony can be quite the painful thing...

She decided that she would wait until Ash himself asked her to come along and if that moment never came, then she would accept it. She wouldn't be happy about it, in fact, she'd be devastated, but she'd accept it.

Ash smiled and nodded at his mother's words. Ash then turned to May, whom he noticed was staring into space, obviously lost in thought.

"May? You okay?" Ash questioned the brunette, snapping her out of her stupor. Seeing his concern for her, she let a smile over take her face before assuring him that she was fine. Ash accepted her response and let a big smile grow on his face once again.

"This is going to be awesome! I can't wait to see your house and meet your parents, May! They must be pretty great people to have raised someone like you." Ash spoke truthfully.

Some might have considered what Ash'd just said as flirting, but those in the room knew that wasn't the case. People that knew Ash understood that he wasn't what one would consider 'good' at the whole romance thing. That he didn't really understand the concept of flirting. He simply spoke what was on his mind and in his heart.

And despite knowing this as Brock and Delia had told her about it at some point, May still couldn't help but blush deeply at his praise. She put her head down as a smile spread on her face. Ash seemed to be slightly confused about what'd caused her to become so red. Brock sighed and facepalmed. He definitely needed to have little chat with Ash at some point soon. He had matured immensely over the past year, but there was still plenty for him to learn.

Once she forced the blush away, May decided that this break in conversation gave her the perfect opportunity to go and call her parents.

"Hey guys?" May started, earning everyone's attention. "I'm going to go call my parents. They asked me to give them updates about you, Ash, and I want to tell them the good news!"

May grabbed Torchic before she left for the waiting room.

As she spoke, both Delia and Brock realized that they some calls to make as well. Delia decided she should call Professor Oak and let him know that Ash was awake, while Brock realized he should call Professor Birch. He also had to call Misty and tell her that Ash was okay. She'd wanted to come to Hoenn as soon as Brock told her what'd happened a few days ago, but she couldn't get anybody to cover her for at the gym. Brock realized that she was definitely still worried sick about Ash. But now, he would finally able to alleviate these worries.

As soon as May was out of sight, Brock stood as well. "I actually have some calls to make too. I want to get Professor Birch over here and if I don't call Misty and tell her that you're awake, she will literally kill me."

Ash chuckled at the man's words. If Misty did somehow find out by someone other than Brock or himself, thehy'd be dead for sure.

Before Brock was able to leave, Delia stood and grabbed his shoulder, causing the man to turn his head. "I'll come with you, Brock. I'm going to go call Professor Oak. I'm sure he's still worried sick about you, Ash."

With that said the two left the room, leaving Ash alone.

"I guess I'll just wait here then!" Ash yelled pathetically toward the open door. He then sighed and sank back into the bed. He then looked by his feet and saw Pikachu smiling at him.

"At least you're still here, buddy." Ash spoke appreciatively.

"Pika! Pika Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed as he rushed into his arms. The yellow pokemon was still feeling the incredible joy of seeing his best friend finally wake up.

Ash began petting Pikachu, earning a happy kuu from the pokemon. The two waited contently for his friends and mother to return.

Back in the lobby, May had just reached the phones and dialed her parents number. It rang three times before her father's face appeared on the screen. Her mother's face was there as well; they must've recognized the number from this phone from the last time she'd called and knew it was her.

Norman and Caroline smiled at there daughter, which May returned. The parents recognized immediately that May seemed to be doing much better than when they had been there a number of days ago. She was very obviously happier, and they couldn't detect a hint of sadness in her expression.

"Hey mom. Hey dad." May greeted with a smile. Her parents said their greetings to her as well. "I just thought I'd call to tell you some news."

"Did something change with Ash's condition? " Caroline asked, becoming concerned. Though she wasn't sure why she'd even asked; based on her daughter's tone and words, something had to have changed..

"You could say that..." May responded cryptically with a smirk.

Her parents were becoming impatient, wanting to know how Ash was. Even despite May's tone, they still couldn't help but be worried about the man who'd saved their daughter's life.

"Well...are you going to tell us?" Norman questioned, his impatience showing slightly in his voice, causing May to giggle. Her smile became as wide as it possibly could as she thought of what she was about to say next

"He's awake...Ash is finally awake." May spoke, her tone full of happiness and excitement. Both of her parents could also hear the incredible amount of relief in her voice.

Upon hearing her words, Norman and Caroline broke out into smiles, with the latter letting out an audible sigh of relief.

"Oh, that's such wonderful news!" Caroline started. It was easy for May to see that she was much more openly excited than her father. Though, she knew they just had different personalities, and her father was definitely glad that Ash had pulled through, he just didn't show it as much as her mother. "So he's doing okay?"

May nodded her head. "The doctors can't explain it. Most of what was wrong with him seemingly healed itself. They said that they'd never seen anything like it before. That it was a miracle."

Norman looked at her daughter in surprise, while his wife become even more joyful upon hearing May's words.

"So he just... woke up? Nothing prompted it?" Norman asked questioningly. He was very curious about the circumstances of what'd happened after her daughter had told him that the doctors were calling this a miracle.

"Well...not exactly. A lot happened beforehand..." May sighed, she knew her parents wanted the full story, and telling it was sure to be difficult. Despite this, she was willing to go through it for her parents. "Just...Let me tell you what happened."

And so, May explained all that'd happened that day. How the doctor told them that Ash was getting worse. That they needed to make peace with the fact that this was going to be Ash's final day on Earth. May was barely able to keep herself together while explaining this, and this wasn't even the worst of it. She paused before she moved on, taking a few deep breaths to gather herself as best she could.

She then told them how Ash's heart would beat further and further apart. She had a difficult time getting her words out when she was telling her parents that Ash had died...

At this point, she couldn't hold back her emotions any longer and began crying. Her parents were worried for their baby girl, but they were also incredibly shocked to find out that Ash had actually died.

May had to wait a few minutes and compose herself before she could continue. "But then...he came back. He woke up as if he'd simply been asleep for the night. It was the craziest, most incredible thing I've ever seen."

Neither Norman or Caroline knew what to say at the moment, leaving them in a period of silence. Caroline allowed a few tears to roll down her face upon hearing the story and watching her daughter sob.

"I can't believe he actually died..." Norman spoke quietly, but it seemed as if he was more talking to himself than May.

May nodded in agreement at her father's words. Wanting to truly break the silence, Caroline forced herself to speak.

"Well...we should just be glad that everything turned out okay in the end." Caroline stated as happily as she could, wanting desperately to raise the mood. This was incredible news after all.

"I've never been so scared in my life, Mom. When his heartbeat stopped...I didn't know what to do. I just shut down. I've never felt such heartache, such intense sadness." May started seriously. "But when he came back, it was the exact opposite. I'd never been so relieved in my life. So happy. So thankful. I don't care how or why it happened...he came back, and that's all that matters."

May's words revealed to the parents just how much she cared for this man. She was clearly very appreciative for all he'd done for her in the short time they'd known each other. Plus, they remembered May telling them how deeply they'd connected, which meant that May was forced to go through the pain watching someone she considered to be a very close friend of hers slowly lose his life.

"How much longer does he have to stay in the hospital?" Norman questioned. He'd remembered their promise to allow Ash to stay with them, so he wanted to be prepared for when he'd be coming.

"The doctors say he needs to stay another week, and then take it easy for another 3 to 5 days once he gets out." May explained before smiling. "Which is perfect since he'll be staying with us for that time. You guys didn't forget about that, did you?

Caroline smiled at her daughter. "Of course not, sweetie. With all that Ash has done for you, allowing him to stay with us is quite literally the least we can do."

May nodded at her mother appreciatively. She could tell her father was in agreement as well. It was then that she remembered something she needed to ask them.

"Oh and by the way, is it okay if another person stays with us during that time? Ash's friend and traveling companion, Brock, is here as well and after Ash recovers, they're going on a journey around the Hoenn region." May requested of her parents. She could tell they were slightly reluctant, so May continued. "He's already become a close friend of mine. If he hadn't been here all week, I would've been completely consumed by grief. Him, along with Delia, are the only things that kept me sane."

Upon hearing their daughter's words, the parents nodded their head in agreement.

"Okay, I suppose this Brock fellow can stay with us. If he's your friend and Ash's companion, I'm sure he's a nice, trustworthy person." Caroline rationalized. May expressed her thanks for allowing this.

"He is, trust me." May added for good measure.

"Okay then..." Norman started. "Do you want us to come pick you up, or are you going to walk home tomorrow morning?"

May looked at her father in confusion. "Dad...I'm not coming home right now."

"What?" Norman responded, becoming confused as well. He'd thought that now that they knew Ash was no longer in any danger, May would come back home until Ash would eventually come to stay with them.

"Dad...Ash died... He literally gave his life to save mine. He risked everything just to make sure that I would get to live my life, to live out my dreams. Do you know the first thing he did when he woke up?" Seeing her parents not respond as they obviously had no idea, May continued. "The first thing he did was ask if I was okay. He'd literally just returned from death itself and the first thing on his mind was me and my well being."

Both parents were beyond amazed by the revelation. Neither could believe the incredible selflessness of this man, nor how much care Ash showed for their daughter. Caroline was extremely glad that May had found a friend in such a great person, and even Norman was feeling this way as well.

"I know it's not my fault, but I still can't help but feel at least kind of guilty. Plus, Ash is my friend. My _very_ close friend. I'm not leaving his side while he's still in the hospital. After what he's been through, he needs people close to him here to help him through this, even if he doesn't realize it." May told her parents, explaining her reasoning behind staying at the hospital with Ash.

Both parents processed May's words, understanding now why she was planning on staying. They also realized just now that in a way, Ash had literally gave his life for their daughter. Both of them, Norman included, were incredibly touched by how far Ash was willing to go for her. Norman wasn't used to respecting boys around May's age, but that's exactly what he felt for Ash. A great amount of respect and appreciation.

"You really care for this boy, don't you?" Norman questioned, earning an immediate nod from May.

"I've never met anyone like him. We became such great friends in no time at all. And you know how I was growing up, so having someone I can act so freely around isn't something I'm used to, and I don't plan on giving that up anytime soon." May responded firmly. "He was willing to die for me. The least I can do is be the best friend I can to him, and that means staying by his side."

"Okay, honey. Then we'll see you when you, Ash and Brock come to stay with us. Please call us if anything changes! I love you, May!" Caroline concluded, wrapping up the phone call.

Norman also gave his love before May cdid so in response. She then hung up the phone. When the screen went black, May stood from her chair and began her walk back to Ash's room,not noticing that the other phones were occupied by the others.

When she returned, she was surprised to see that the only person in the room was Ash, along with Pikachu on his lap.

Ash looked up from Pikachu when he heard someone enter, and smiled as he realized it was May.

"Hey, May. How did the phone call go?" Ash asked politely, happy that someone had finally returned.

Ash could see the confusion on her face, and had a feeling she would be asking him about something.

"It went well. Um...where are Brock and Delia?" May answered Ash so briefly as she wanted to get her own question out of the way.

"Oh, after you left, they followed you because they had to make some phone calls as well. They shouldn't be too much longer." Ash revealed to the woman, who nodded in understanding before taking her seat next to Ash's bed.

May reached over to pet Pikachu for a moment, whom was still seated on Ash's lap before she spoke. "My parents were really glad to hear that you're okay. And they're definitely excited to meet you, even my dad."

Ash chuckled at May's words. "Yeah, I remember you saying something about him being a hard man to impress. I'm glad I was able to do so, though. I would hate if he didn't approve of our friendship or something."

May smiled. "You definitely don't have to worry about that. When I told him that you...you know...as a result of you saving me, he was speechless, and that is not like my dad at all. You've definitely made a positive first impression if nothing else."

May giggled at her own words; a 'positive first impression' seemed to be a bit of an understatement for what Ash had done. Ash returned with a smile as their gazes remained locked

At this time, Delia entered the room, followed a few moments later by Brock. Delia's entrance broke the two out of their gazes.

"Ash, I promised Misty I'd tell you something." Brock started, _really_ not wanting to forget to tell his friend this. "She said that you better come visit her the next time you're in Kanto or else she'll, and I quote, hit you so hard with her mallet that you'll end up right back in the hospital."

Ash laughed at what Brock had said but May found it to be a little much. Maybe she was being oversensitive, but she thought that mentioning putting Ash back in the hospital after what he'd just went through seemed very wrong to her. Though, she only felt this because she didn't know Misty like Ash and Brock did...

"That's a pretty rude thing to say..." May voiced her opinion on the matter, a bit of anger evident in her tone.

"That's just how Misty is." Ash responded to the girl's concerns, not offended in the slightest. Misty could be a rude person sometimes but once you got to know her, you understood her much better. "She can be a bit much sometimes, but she means well. Plus, she wouldn't actually hurt me."

" _Yeah, because she's in love with you..."_ May thought to herself as jealousy welled up inside of her.

She most definitely remembered the conversation she'd with Brock about this subject. Despite this, she didn't let it show and simply responded with a smile and a nod of the head. Plus, she remembered that Brock had told her that Ash didn't feel the same way toward her, which helped her get over these feelings for the moment.

Ash then turned his attention back to Brock. "Okay, I'll make sure to do that. But please don't let me forget. Misty can get pretty scary when she's mad..."

Both Ash and Brock shuttered at the thought of being yelled at by Misty.

"Oh by the way, Professor Birch is on his way here right now. He was very happy to hear that you were awake, Ash." Brock mentioned.

"Great. I'll get a chance to thank him for helping me out and getting me to the hospital." Ash told his friends his plan.

"The professor was a huge help the day everything happened. If he hadn't been there, I don't even want to think about what might've happened." May added, not allowing her mind to wander to what possibly could've happened had the man not been present.

Thinking about it now, she actually wanted to thank the older man as well. His calmness in the face of such a horrifying situation allowed them to stay in control of themselves and focus on helping Ash.

"Professor Oak was also glad to hear that you're doing better now. He said he was worried sick this whole week." Delia revealed to her son, causing the man to smile regretfully.

He knew he shouldn't be feeling bad about making everyone worry as he had no control over what'd happened, but that's just who Ash was. The one thing he hated more than anything in the world was anybody feeling anything but pure contentment and happiness. Part of that was because of how his mother raised him, and the other had something to do with a matter he really didn't like to discuss...

After about 15 minutes of sitting around and chatting, Professor Birch entered the room, once again being followed by Mightyena and her cubs. Everyone greeted the man and pokemon as he looked for an empty chair. Seeing that there were only three, and they all were occupied, he decided he would be fine standing for the time being.

It was then he realized he'd forgotten something from his car. The Professor turned to Brock before going to retrieve these items.

"Hey, Brock, do you think you could help me carry a couple things from my car?" The Professor questioned. While he wondered what it was he would need help with, Brock complied and the two left the room.

It didn't take long before the two came back, each man lugging what looked to be a cot in their arms. They were folded up at the moment, making them much easier to carry than had they been fully opened.

Ash, May and Delia were all surprised to see what they were bringing into the room. The weren't quite sure where they would even be able to fit. Though, that questioned was answered when the two men opened them and set them down next to each other by the foot of Ash's bed; this room was bigger than everyone realized, it seemed.

"Here you go you guys! Hopefully this will make sleeping here a bit more comfortable." Birch exclaimed happily.

Everyone was still pretty shocked about him giving them these cots, so no one reacted right away. May had a particular question on her mind.

"Is this okay? Having these here, I mean." May asked, not wanting to get in trouble with the hospital staff.

Birch simply smiled in response. "Yep, it sure is! When I left the other day, I got the idea in my head, so I asked one of the managers of the hospital and they said they'd allow it. After getting the go ahead, I went to the store to buy these bad boys! I'm sorry that there's only two. That's all they had in stock."

Upon hearing Birch's words, everyone smiled in response to his kindness.

"It's no problem, Adam. We really appreciate you even just getting the two. It certainly will make things a bit more comfortable here." Delia told the man.

"Yeah, I thought they would come in handy. I would just ask you guys to all come and stay with me, but I have a feeling I already know what the answer would be." Birch spoke with a smirk. Brock, Delia and May nodded in response, proving him correct. Birch then turned to Ash. "You've got some great people by your side, I hope you know that."

Ash nodded. "Of course I do, Professor. I would never take my friends and family for granted. I truly do have the best people in the world supporting me."

After he finished speaking, Professor Birch walked up to Ash and shook his hand tightly with a beaming smile on his face. "Ash, you have no idea how good it is to see you up. You gave everyone quite a scare back there, you know that?"

Ash giggled nervously and scratched the back of his head. Everyone laughed at his reaction.

"I'm sorry Professor, but dying wasn't exactly my idea of a good time, either." Ash joked lightheartedly, despite the subject matter.

While earlier this may have affected everybody in a more negative way, it wasn't so bad anymore. Because they now knew that Ash was going to make a full recovery, they were more comfortable with Ash's slightly morbid sense of humor about himself. This allowed for everybody to laugh at his joke.

The professor patted his hand on the Ash's shoulder. "I was only joking, my boy! But really, I'm glad you're okay. We all are."

Ash nodded at the man in front of him happily. He had to admit, it felt good to be reminded that people cared about him. Usually, he was so focused on others that he would often forget that people were there for him too.

"Thank you, Professor Birch. And not just for what you said. Thank you for helping me on that day. If you hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't be here right now. Even worse, May most likely would've been hurt. So thank you for everything." Ash made sure to speak as sincerely as possible to get across just how much everything Birch did meant to him.

May also couldn't help but let a big smile cross over her face as she shook her head in disbelief. Ash would always be worried about others before himself, that much was clear to her now. And this made her feel incredibly cared for, something she was now feeling a lot more often when she was around Ash.

The Professor smiled at Ash before responding. "It was truly my pleasure, Ash. I wasn't going to just leave you there, you know! Of course, May helped me out a lot as well. You're a pretty big guy. If May hadn't been there to help me carry you so levelly, I could've made your injuries a lot worse by moving you erratically. That is, if I'd even managed to lift you at all."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise as he looked to May, whom had a small blush on her cheeks from the credit that the Professor had given her. Despite this, she forced herself to meet Ash's gaze.

"Wow...Thank you, May. Sounds like you really played a big part in saving my life. I guess that means we're even, huh?" Ash laughed as he finished his speech, having spoken sincerely as he gave his thanks. Though, he would feel that anything was owed to him for what he'd done for May. He was only joking, and May knew this.

All May could do was smile; she couldn't bring herself to respond verbally because she would be forced to tell a blatant lie by agreeing that they were even.

What Ash had done for her, and what she had done for Ash were two _very_ different thing in her mind. She would never be 'even' with Ash. What he'd done was by far the most incredible, selfless thing anyone had ever done for her, and she felt she would never be able to repay him for it.

Though, she did plan on trying. May didn't know how she would go about doing that just yet, but she would do her best to think of something. For now though, she was just going to be the best friend she could to him, which was as much a gift to her as much as it was to him.

At this point, the Mightyena and her cubs moved closer to Ash's bedside. Ash smiled as they approached.

"Mightyena! Poochyena! Good to see you all. Have you been staying with the Professor this whole time?" Ash questioned, this being his rationale as to why the pokemon were still with them.

Mightyena responded in the positive while Ash rubbed her head.

"Actually, I recently offered Mightyena and her cubs to live with me permanently. Not as in catch them, but just to have around. They've really grown on me over the past week." Professor Birch revealed, as one of the Poochyena licked his hand happily. Everyone was glad that the professor and the pokemon seemed happy with the arrangement.

Ash then turned serious and looked at all the pokemon in front of him. "I want to thank you all for helping out back on that day. By pulling the rope with the Professor and PIkachu, you gave me the chance to save May. I can't thank you enough for that."

All four of the dark pokemon responded in appreciation for the praise. Pikachu also voiced his thanks to the pokemon.

May also wanted to express her thanks to the pokemon. "Mightyena, Poochyena, I want to thank you as well. Without your strength, the professor might not have been able to control Ash's descent, and he definitely wouldn't have been able to pull us both back up. You were a big part in why I'm here today. You helped give me the opportunity to pursue an incredibly amazing friendship with Ash and later, Brock and Delia. I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you did."

The four pokemon barked in happiness, enjoying the praise they were receiving. They'd always been tentative around humans, but these people were very obviously friends to all pokemon. Especially the Professor. They'd really taken a liking to him in particular.

Ash actually blushed slightly upon hearing May's words. It seemed that being friends with him was something that she wanted _very_ badly, and he was happy to say that he wanted the same. Though, saying that they were 'pursuing' friendship at this point seemed silly. With how they felt, they were already closer than most best friends.

At this moment, Torchic let herself out of her pokeball, surprising her trainer greatly. Torchic danced around happily after she materialized and expressed her thanks to the pokemon as well. She'd heard what May and Ash had said, and she wanted to see the other pokemon. Once she appeared, she greeted the dark pokemon happily.

May turned to Ash to ask him a question. "Are pokemon supposed to be able to let themselves out like that?"

Ash chuckled before he responded. "I wouldn't say that they're 'supposed' to be able to do that, but it can happen sometimes. It usually only happens when a pokemon really wants out."

May accepted Ash's answer before turning back to look at Torchic. She was joyfully playing around with the three poochyena, causing May to smile as she saw the pokemon having fun.

The Professor stayed for a while longer, chatting with everyone about everything under the sun. No one had really even acknowledged what time it was until Birch let out a yawn.

The man then looked to the clock, his eyes widening in surprise. "Geez, it's already 10:30. I should really get going. I have to be up early tomorrow to do some work."

"Okay, Professor. I'm glad you were able to stop by, and thanks again for everything." Ash spoke sincerely. He was immensely glad Professor Oak had sent him to meet this man. Regardless of what'd happened on his first day in Hoenn, he regretted nothing. He'd gotten to meet a nice man and a beautiful girl whom he could already tell was going to be one of the best friends he'd ever have.

"You really don't have to thank me, but I appreciate it none the less. I'm just glad that you're okay. When Brock told me that we'd actually lost you for a minute, I couldn't believe it. I'm just so glad everything worked out okay in the end." Professor Birch finished happily.

Everyone said their goodbyes to the man and the pokemon as they walked out the door and out of sight. No one said anything for a few moments as they just allowed themselves to reflect on the crazy day they had as it was now coming to a close.

They'd actually lost Ash today. Even taking into consideration when he was turned to stone, this was the closest they'd ever come to losing him before. It was crazy to think that if whatever miracle had saved him didn't happen, then they'd have lost their friend, or their son in Delia's case, for good.

Not wanting to dwell on the subject too long, Brock spoke up. "We should probably be getting to sleep soon. It's been a long day, and some sleep would do us all a lot of good."

Everyone was in agreement but now that they had the cots, some arrangements needed to be made.

"I agree, but how do we decide who gets the cots? I mean, I don't want anybody to be left uncomfortable but obviously, that's what's going to have to happen." Delia voiced the issue, not expecting the immediate response she received from May.

"Actually Delia, I think you and Brock should take the cots." May told the woman. "I've gotten pretty used to sleeping on the chair, so I won't be uncomfortable at all!"

"Are you sure? Because I really don't mind you and Delia taking the cots." Brock added, making sure that this was what May really wanted. Brock silently hoped it would be; having the cot to sleep in would surely feel amazing after sleeping in a chair for the past week.

May nodded her head immediately. "I'm sure, Brock. I'm more than happy to let you guys have the cots."

Both Delia and Brock smiled at the young woman in front of them, impressed by her selflessness.

"Well then, thank you, May. We both really appreciate it." Delia thanked the girl happily.

In all honesty, May would've loved to sleep on the cots. Sure, she actually did feel comfortable sleeping in the chair with her head laying on the bed, but her back would surely thank her if she was able to lie flat for a night, even if it didn't hurt at all as of yet. But she truly didn't mind in the end.

She'd always been one to try to put others first and after seeing that this was the motto by which Ash seemed to live by, she wanted to work on her selflessness even more. She wanted to show Ash that she put others first as well.

Ash smiled at May after they'd agreed on the situation. It was hard to find such selfless people these days. Seeing what May had done, no matter how small it may have been, made Ash's liking of the girl increase even despite it already being extremely high.

"May." Ash started, getting May to turn around an look at him. "I want you to take my bed. I'll be more than fine sleeping on the chair."

May looked at the man in disbelief. She knew that this was the kind of person Ash was, but this was just ridiculous. While she was touched by the sentiment, there was no way she was going to allow this to happen.

"Ash...You went through a lot, and not just today, this whole week! If anyone needs a goodnights sleep, it's you. Your body needs sleep in order to recover." May explained to the man in front of her.

Ash, being who he was, argued the point. He would always be adamant about putting someone else first. "But May, I'm fine! I feel almost no pain, and the doctors said that I'm nearly in perfect health, save for the scratches and the slash on my back."

Ash thought that his argument was sound, but May still wasn't going to budge, he could see that in her expression.

"No, Ash. You're sleeping on the bed, and that's final." May stated firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ash knew he wouldn't be able to change her mind, so he simply chuckled and shook his head. "Has anyone ever told you that you can be pretty stubborn?"

May couldn't help but smile at Ash's teasing tone. "Once or twice. But it's pretty clear to me that you're the same way, Mr. Ketchum."

As May finished her sentence, the two began laughing at their banter. Neither of them felt any strangeness anymore about how comfortable they were around each other, it was just how it was. And they were both more than happy about that fact.

Both Delia and Brock couldn't help but smile at the two as well. Delia once again felt overwhelming happiness overcome her, immensely glad that her son and May had been able to meet. She knew that if nothing else, they would be extremely close friends until the very end. And if things went as she hoped they would, they would end up being something more...

Delia and Brock climbed into their cots after May and Ash had finished teasing each other, testing them to see how comfortable they would be. Immediately, the amount of comfort they felt overwhelmed them. After sitting upright to sleep or sleeping laying on the hard tile floor, what was normally a not so soft cot felt like a cloud. And despite not being all that tired, both Brock and Delia fell asleep almost instantly because of this.

Both Ash and May noticed this and raised an eyebrow before looking to each other and chuckling. After the two calmed down, May, who wasn't feeling all that tired for some reason, spoke to Ash.

"So...I'd imagine you're pretty tired after the day you've had today?" May questioned, even though she was sure she already knew the answer. But to her surprise, Ash shook his head in the negative.

"Surprisingly, no. I'm not really tired at all. I guess being out for an entire week let me double up on some sleep." Ash joked, causing May to giggle.

May was actually glad that he wasn't tired. Ever since everything had happened, May'd been wanting nothing more than to be able to just have more talks with Ash. And now since they were both so awake, they could do just that. The only problem was, May had no idea where to start.

"So..." May started, still not quite sure what to say. "Are you excited about finally being able to travel around Hoenn?"

May thought she'd just asked a stupid question; of course he was excited. Though judging by Ash's bright smile, she could tell he didn't think the question was stupid at all.

"Oh yeah! After I finished my journey through Kanto, I didn't really know where to go next. Obviously, I could've gone to Johto, and that was actually my plan before Professor Oak told me about the Hoenn region." Ash revealed to May. "He told me about all of the awesome pokemon, and how beautiful the region is. I just couldn't resist!"

"Yeah, Hoenn really is a beautiful place." May responded, nodding her head. "Though for someone who's lived here her whole life, I really haven't seen all that much of it."

Ash wondered why she hadn't taken the time to see a lot of Hoenn, since she was so into traveling.

"Why's that? Your family just doesn't travel much?" Ash questioned, causing the brunette to nod in response.

"Yeah, we hardly ever leave Petalburg. My dad's job kind of keeps us rooted in one spot, and he doesn't get much time off." May told Ash.

"What does your dad do?" Ash asked the brunette, who'd completely forgotten that Ash didn't know who here father was.

"Actually, my father is the Petalburg City Gym Leader." May revealed, causing Ash's eyes to widen. May then remembered what people would call her father, and put on an announcers voice as she spoke again. "Norman Maple, master of the normal types!"

Both people laughed at May's saying, but Ash was still beyond surprised.

"Wow, that's awesome, May! I can't believe your dad is a gym leader!" Ash exclaimed in excitement, making the brunette smile. "And that means I'll have to face him at some point...Sorry May, looks like I'm gonna have to knock your dad down a peg or two."

May giggled at Ash's teasing tone before she put her hands up in front of her. "Hey, do what you gotta do. Plus when you do battle him, I'm definitely going to be in your corner."

"Really...?" Ash asked, amazed by what May had said.

The brunette nodded her head in the positive, becoming a bit shy from the amazed look Ash was giving her. "Well...yeah. He may be my dad and all, but you're my friend, and I want to see you succeed."

Ash smiled at the girl's words, really appreciating what she had said. Both parties felt a blush appear on their faces, but neither seemed to care. Plus, it was fairly dark in the room so they doubted the other had noticed.

"Well thank you, May. That really means a lot to me." Ash spoke sincerely. "I'm really glad I met you. It's pretty insane how fast we became such great friends."

May nodded her head in response. "I know. I've never connected with anyone this quickly, let alone this deeply. Talking with you is just so easy. And this might sound weird but...I feel like I've known you my whole life. Like I can already call you a best friend..."

May spoke timidly as she finished speaking, not quite knowing how Ash would respond to her statement. Though, any doubt that her words might've weirded him out was smashed when Ash spoke.

"I'm really glad you said that May, because I feel the exact same way. And if that's weird, then so be it. I'm just glad that I already made such a good friend in you. A best friend." Ash finished, smiling brightly.

May felt joy and warmth rush throughout her body as she processed Ash's words. She knew that he already felt as she did about her friendship, but hearing him say this made her even happier.

"I'm so glad." May started, thinking of how she should continue. She them decided she'd let him know a bit more about her past. "I've never had a best friend before. Actually, I didn't have many friends at all growing up..."

May spoke sincerely, but Ash still looked at her with disbelief.

"Is that hard to believe?" May questioned. First Brock and now, Ash couldn't seem to understand how she didn't have many friends growing up.

Ash nodded his head. "Well...you're just such an awesome person. You've got an infectious personality, you're funny, plus it helps that you're incredibly beautiful. You just have all the makings of someone who'd be popular."

Ash spoke with a slight amount of timidness. Complimenting her so directly was a little bit embarrassing to him. But in terms of embarrassment, nothing could compare to what that May was feeling at the moment.

Ash's words made May blush a deeper shade of red than she ever had before, especially when he called her beautiful. Though, the embarrassment she felt was far outweighed by pure, unadulterated happiness. She couldn't believe how highly Ash thought of her, and everything he'd said had touched her deeply.

While a decent number of lecherous guys had called her beautiful in the past, she knew none of them meant it in the way Ash did. He was just so sincere, and this filled May with an extremely pleasant warmth she'd never felt before.

"T-Thank you, Ash. I think the same of you..." May responded timidly.

Ash, seeing an opportunity to tease the girl, spoke up. "Oh, you think I'm beautiful?"

May giggled and slapped Ash on the arm. Ash chuckled as well and rubbed his arm, pretending that it hurt more than it did.

"You know what I mean..." May said, becoming incredibly comfortable once again. Ash simply laughed at her words and nodded his head in appreciation.

"So, why didn't you have many friends, if you don't mind me asking?" Ash questioned. Everything he'd said he felt was true, so he was very curious as to how the people in Petalburg hadn't seen the same in her.

May sighed before responding. "I'm really not sure. I was bullied a lot when I was really young, and I kind of shut myself off after that. Even after I got over that, it just seemed that nobody wanted to be my true friend. There was hardly anyone I could even consider a friend, let alone a _best_ friend."

Ash's anger rose as May told him about being bullied. Though, he held it in, knowing he shouldn't be getting angry about something that'd happened in the past. He simply allowed May to continue.

"Most of the guys in Petalburg were jerks. They were either bullies, or they only wanted girls for their bodies. Guys asked me out a few times, but they were so obviously only into my appearance. That just disgusted me. And the girls...so many of them just hated me for some reason. I don't think I'll ever understand why." May finished, pondering over what the reason could've been.

Ash had an idea, and he thought that he'dlet May know of it.

"They were jealous." Ash stated simply, causing May to look up at him in confusion. For some reason, this possibility had never entered her mind. "They were jealous of you. How you looked, that you had such a great personality, everything. You were everything that they could never be, and they resented you for that."

May was amazed by Ash's conclusion, but couldn't seem to accept it. "I don't know about that..."

Ash chuckled for a moment at May's doubtfulness. "You need to have some more confidence in yourself, May. You're an amazing person, and the other girls hated the fact that they could never be as good as you. I'm sure that's it."

May's blush returned at Ash's words. She still had some doubts about Ash's theory, but she could really find no holes in it. Plus, Ash would never lie to her, she knew that, so he must truly believe what he was saying.

Plus, he was right about at least one thing. She did need to improve her self confidence. Because she didn't have any close friends, she always thought that she just wasn't in any way desirable. She knew a number of guys thought she was pretty, but the way they would talk to her wouldn't make her feel beautiful in the slightest.

But hearing Ash say all of this really made the amount of confidence she had in herself skyrocket. For the first time in a long time, she truly felt like she was beautiful, inside and out. That someone actually appreciated her for her. For the millionth time, May thanked her lucky stars that Ash had found his way into her life

"Thank you, Ash. That was really sweet of you to say." May spoke sincerely and smiled softly at the man in front of her, who returned it with a smile of his own.

"Hey, I'm just speaking the truth. And besides, I understand what you went through." Ash revealed to May. It was at this moment May remembered how Brock had told her about a boy who's name escaped her bullying Ash when they were young. Despite knowing where this was going, she allowed the man to continue; she really wanted to learn everything she could about her newest friend, and because Ash had actually experienced it, he would surely have more information than what Brock had told her.

"When I was younger, I was bullied almost constantly. A boy that was at one time my friend named Gary bullied me right up until the point where I left for my pokemon journey. Hell, he even managed to find ways to do so when we were both traveling." Ash told the girl, who was listening to his story intently. "Gary was a popular guy when we were young and when others saw him bully me, they thought doing the same would make them 'cool'. Eventually, I had half of Pallet Town constantly berating me, hurting me. Without my mom and Professor Oak, I don't think I would've made it through all of that."

Much like Ash before, May felt a great amount of anger wash over her as she thought about anyone treating Ash any less that he deserved. She didn't express her emotion however and instead waited for Ash to continue with the story.

"The hardest part about it was the fact that Gary used to be my friend. He just changed one day, and it seemed I'd never be able to turn him back." Ash spoke solemnly. May was once again amazed that Ash even wanted someone who'd constantly bullied him back in his life. Ash then let a small smile spread across his face. "Gary didn't respect me in the slightest. But at the end our journeys, in the Indigo league, I beat him. This earned me his respect and for some reason, made him see the error of his ways. He apologized to me and we became friends again."

"Sounds like your childhood was a lot like mine. But I'm glad you managed to patch things up with Gary." May spoke honestly. The fact that Ash was so willing to forgive someone who'd made his life a living hell was a testament to the kind of man he was and made her admire the man even more.

May giggled as she thought about what she was going to say next. "Our childhoods were _a lot_ a like now that I think about it. Like I did with some not so nice guys, Brock told me you had a good amount of female attention before you left on your journey."

Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose a few took an interest in me. But much like you, they didn't actually like me for me. Plus, these were girls that'd bullied me in the past. I didn't want to date anyone unless I knew for sure that they liked me for who I was. And plus, I could never be with a person who would knowingly hurt someone for no reason. A person who didn't have a pure heart. That's why I've never dated anyone before."

"I haven't actually dated anyone before either." May revealed. If he hadn't already heard May's story, he would've found this hard to believe. What he didn't know was that May was having the same thoughts about him.

"Well...they really missed out with you. I mean, you're basically like a super hero with all that you've done in your life! Mewtwo, Lugia, Entei, Celebi, the Eon Dragons...it's just all so amazing." May exclaimed, her voice full of wonder as she remembered the crazy stories Brock had told her.

Ash became slightly red at May's first sentence but as she went on, his expression changed to one of great surprise.

"How do you know about all of that?" Ash didn't particularly have a problem with May knowing about in the slightest, but he simply wondered how on Earth she had found out about them.

May chuckled at the man's reaction. "A few nights ago, Brock and I couldn't sleep, so he told me about your adventures. You're not upset, are you?"

May became slightly worried that Ash didn't want her to know of these events. However, her worries faded immediately once she saw him smile and shake his head.

"No, I'm not upset at all, I was just surprised you knew. But I trust you completely, so I have no problem with you knowing. If Brock wouldn't have, I definitely would've told you at some point while we were here." Ash told the girl, causing her to smile, glad that she was so trusted by Ash.

"Okay, good." May started happily. "But seriously, what you've done is just so incredible. And to think that all happened in just one year. You've risked your life so many times to save people and pokemon you barely even knew. Honestly, if you weren't here in front of me, I wouldn't even believe a person like you existed."

All of the praise Ash was receiving made Ash feel incredible. Though, he was also quite embarrassed. He once again reverted to rubbing the back of his head and smiling sheepishly.

"Thank you, May. These things just have a way of finding me. I don't really know why, or how, but they do. And I just try to do the best I can to help everyone." Ash said to May, who had a question on her mind.

"I've actually been meaning to talk to you about that. You're so willing to risk everything to help people. I mean, from the stories Brock has told me, you've done so much for so many people and pokemon. I mean, today wasn't even the firs time you've di-" May's breath hitched in her throat as she recalled Brock telling her how Ash had been turned to stone. How he had died. It was almost unbelievable that today was the second time Ash had died.

Ash sighed, hating seeing May's mood drop. "So Brock told you about that, I see..."

May'd dropped her head, letting the sadness consume her momentarily. Seeing her like this broke Ash's heart, especially after she'd already been through so much over the past week. Slowly, he leaned forward in his seated position and reached his arm out toward May. He then used his thumb and forefinger to raise May's head to meet his gaze.

May was met with a comforting smile, which alone helped her calm down slightly.

"Hey, I'm right here. I may get into situations where things look bad, but I always come through in the end. Didn't I prove that today?" Ash asked, his smile never faltering. "I have a lot of things left to do in this life, and I'm not going to let anything stop me from doing them."

Once again, Ash had been able to completely reassure May. A genuine smile grew on her face as the two simply stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Then, without consciously thinking about it, May raised her hand and grabbed Ash's hand off of her chin, lowering it to the bed, but not letting go. Ash didn't object as the two continued to stare.

Though, they both let go of the other's hand when they were broken out of their gaze by a fairly loud noise coming from one of the two sleeping people in the room. Both sweatdropped as they realized that Brock had started snoring. Though, his snoring fit didn't seem to last long, and he soon went back to sleeping quietly.

After the interruption, May and Ash looked back to each other and shared a laugh. Now that they were back in silence, May wanted to get back on topic.

"I want to ask you something, but please don't feel pressured to answer it if the reasoning is personal or something." May prefaced what she was about to ask. Ash looked at the girl in slight confusion, but nodded his head in the affirmative anyway.

"Is there a reason why you're so willing to put your life on the line to help people and pokemon? I mean, you do these incredibly selfless things, and I was just wondering if that's simply just how you have always been, or if something made you this way." May finished her question. She knew that Ash had accredited the person he was to his mother, but she had a strange feeling that there was more to it than that. And she wanted to know everything she could about the man before her

Ash didn't say anything for a few moments as he thought over May's question, making the girl worry slightly. Ash was contemplating whether or not to tell her. This was an incredibly personal secret that he had only ever shared with one other person, that person being Brock, and it'd taken a good while before he felt ready to tell him. He had yet to even tell Misty, though he didn't quite have a reason why he hadn't done so as of yet.

But Ash wanted to know everything he could about May, and he could tell that she felt the same about him. Even after meeting dozens of great people, he'd never connected with anyone like he had with May. He already trusted her completely and considered her a best friend. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to tell her. What he failed to realize was that his thinking had taken quite a bit of time.

So much time in fact that May felt the need to back track. "Ash, it's fine... You really don't have to-"

"It's okay, May. Really." Ash spoke softly, smiling at the woman in front of him. May nodded her head before Ash sighed as he thought about how to start this. "What I'm about to tell you...I've only ever told one other person. Brock. And it took me a pretty long time for me to feel comfortable enough to tell him."

"Ash, you really don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable. I know we only just met a little over a week ago. If you don't want to tell me right now, don't worry about it in the slightest." May wanted to make sure Ash knew that she wasn't trying to force him into telling her anything. The most important thing to May was that he was comfortable.

Ash smiled appreciatively at the brunette. "I know I don't have to, but I want to. I've never connected with anybody like I have with you. Even after just meeting you, I'm already completely comfortable around you. I trust you, and I value your friendship as much as anything in the world. And like we said before, I feel totally confident in saying that we're already best friends."

May's eyes actually began to water at Ash's words. She was so elated that he felt the same way she did. That he trusted her as she did him. That he already considered her a best friend as she did him.

"Ash, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I'm so glad you feel the same way I do about all of this." May spoke joyfully. She'd managed to stop any tears from falling, but Ash could tell that her eyes were watery. "I've never had a friend like you. Someone I can call my closest friend. My _best_ friend. Just saying that makes me so incredibly happy."

Ash smiled brightly at the girl's words. Like her, he was glad that she felt the same as he did. Plus, her absolute joy filled him with the same feelings, even despite the subject matter that was still near the front of his brain that he was planning to tell May.

"Best friends." Ash said happily before turning more serious. "That's why I want to tell you this. Because best friends should know everything about one another. They should be able to trust each other to know their most personal secrets. And before I tell you this, I'll warn you that it's not exactly the happiest of stories."

May's face became serious as she heard Ash's words. This was very obviously something that'd happened to Ash which had shaped him into the person he was today.

"The reason I'm so willing to help people, even if it means losing my life is because of my...because of my father..." Ash struggled to get the words out. Though now that he was to this point, he knew he'd be able to tell the rest of the story.

May's eyes widened in surprise. After how Delia had reacted when she'd brought him up and what Brock had told her, she was very curious as to what'd happened with him. And though she vowed to never pressure it out of him, it seemed she was going to get an answer anyway. She made sure to pay extra close attention, realizing now more than ever just how personal this story was.

Ash took a deep breath before he continued. "My father was my world, just like every kid. And my mom and him seemed so happy together. He was a pokemon trainer, so he was the first person to introduce me to pokemon." Ash revealed. It made sense to May. A lot of people's first encounters with pokemon were because of their parents; she knew her's was.

"Whenever he had a battle, he would always let me come watch. I loved that more than anything. Seeing how strong my dad was, I wanted to be just like him." As Ash spoke, May could see his face get darker, especially after he'd said the last sentence.

May almost wanted to tell him to stop, but she could feel that Ash really wanted to tell her this. That he wanted her to know him better than most everyone in the world.

"It was my sixth birthday..." Ash started lowly. "I came running down the stairs, as excited as can be...only to find my mother sitting in the kitchen, crying her eyes out."

Ash took a moment to calm himself down as he vividly remembered seeing his mom in the state she was in. Picturing this always made him incredibly upset, and he had to really focus to control himself. May noticed the internal struggle he was facing and prayed to Arceus that he would get through it. After a few moments, Ash felt well enough to continue.

"Like any kid would be, I was worried and scared, so asked her what was wrong. It was obvious she didn't know how to tell me..." Ash let his gaze fall low. "She told me that 'daddy had to leave' and that he 'wasn't coming back'. I was so confused...I didn't even believe her at first. I laughed...I actually laughed because I thought it was a joke..." Ash shook his head in disbelief as he remembered the moment vividly.

"I told my mom that there was no way he would do that. That he was just hiding. She tried to stop me, but I looked in every room of the house... I couldn't find him. That was when I realized...my father had left us...he abandoned us...abandoned me." Ash spoke slowly, his voice shaky. He was feeling emotions that he hadn't felt in quite awhile.

Before he began telling the story, Ash had moved so that his feet were hanging off the side of the bed. As Ash finished speaking, May moved quickly and sat beside him, putting a comforting hand on his back. Though, Ash didn't even react to her touch; he simply kept his gaze locked on the floor as he let these old feelings overtake him.

May couldn't believe it. How could anyone do such a thing to their family? She could tell that Ash was feeling a million different things at the moment, none of them good, and she was extremely worried about him.

After a few moments, Ash began to speak once again. "I've never been so angry in my life. So sad... So scared... My mom and I just cried in each others arms for the rest of the day. My mom didn't know what to do, and I was only six years old. We were completely lost..." Ash spoke solemnly. May began slowly rubbing Ash's back comfortingly as the man spoke.

"Days went by. Then weeks. It quickly became apparent that my father had no intention of returning. At that point, all I felt anymore was anger. I couldn't believe what he'd done. How he'd hurt my mother, the woman he supposedly loved!" Ash spoke angrily, pausing momentarily to calm himself down. There were still people and pokemon sleeping in the room, and he didn't want to wake them with is outburst.

"At six years old, I was forced to become the man of the house. My mom was a wreck for a long time, and I did absolutely everything I could to help her, even though I wasn't really any better. I just couldn't stand seeing her so distraught. And that was what did it..." Ash stated cryptically.

"...Did what?" May asked slowly, carefully.

"That was what made me realize that I couldn't handle seeing others in pain. In fear. Feeling anything other than happiness and comfort. I know everyone hates seeing that stuff but with me, it's just...different. More extreme, somehow. I felt that I could handle all of the bad stuff, even at six years old, but I couldn't stand to see others in pain...I couldn't." Ash told the girl, his eyes still not meeting hers. "I vowed to myself that day that if there was anyway I could help somebody, then I would do it, no matter the cost. I didn't want anybody to ever have to feel what I did. Scared, depressed..."

"Alone..."

"And that's what I did. From that moment on, I started helping anyone I could. When someone would hurt themselves, or be upset about something, I'd do my best to be there to help them. Even if they were people who'd bullied me, it didn't matter. Nobody deserves to feel like I did. I wouldn't wish those feelings on my worst enemy." Ash continued, his voice remaining low, but level as he spoke of his past. "And as I grew older, the problems became more serious, as if they were growing along with me. But no matter what, I kept to my word, and I always will."

"I have to do it. I have to do what I do, even if it ends up killing me. Because no one, and I mean _no one_ should ever have to feel like there's no one there for them. That no one _cares_ for them. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just sat back and watched someone go through this. At every opportunity I can, I'll be there." Ash paused, just for a brief moment as he shifted gears just slightly. "This was actually another reason why I started my journey. By traveling, I would be able to help more people across the world. And while pokemon battling was by far the main reason for my journey, my two dreams could coexist perfectly with one another."

Ash took a deep breath and finally turned his head to look at May. She was very obviously shocked and had no idea what to say or do. She just couldn't believe it...

"What my dad did back then...I still haven't been able to forgive him for it. I don't know if I'll ever be able to. Though, I suppose it really doesn't matter since I haven't seen or heard from him since." Ash let a sad smile appear on his face. "But it's for the best. It's because of him that I was able to form this ideology, to help so many people. In his own twisted way, I guess he did what a dad is supposed to do for their son...mold them into a person that people can rely on."

Ash took another deep breath, bringing his gaze forward for just a moment before returning it back to May's.

"I want to be remembered as a good man. I want to be the kind of person my father wasn't..."

"And that's why I do it." Ash sighed as he gazed into the woman's eyes. "Because if I let someone be hurt the way I was, I would never be able to live with myself. Even if doing so means losing my life, it doesn't matter. Because at that point, I'd be better off dead."

Ash finally finished his story, leaving a huge range of emotions in his wake. He was still feeling all of the things he'd felt back then, and May was feeling them as well. She still hadn't moved or said a word, her hand remaining on Ash's back.

Ash gave her time to process everything that he'd just old her. He realized how overwhelming this story could be after telling Brock. It wasn't an easy thing to digest, and Ash understood that completely. All Ash did for the moment was wipe away the stray tears that would roll down May's cheeks with his thumb.

It was almost a full minute before May finally reacted. Ash noticed her lip begin to quiver before she shot forward and tackled him into an embrace. Having not been expecting it, he fell back onto the bed, with May lying on top of him, hugging him tightly as she cried into his chest.

Ash just did his best to comfort the girl by rubbing her back with one hand and stroking her long brown hair with the other. He allowed her to stay like this for as long as she needed.

It was minutes before May said anything. After a good while, May attempted to slow her tears, which she somehow managed to do successfully. Despite her regaining control of herself, she still didn't leave the embrace. It was the only thing providing her comfort at the moment, and Ash would be lying if he said it wasn't helping him calm down as well; telling this story always made him feel the painful emotions he'd felt as a child.

"I can't believe you had to go through all that..." May spoke into Ash's chest, her voice still full of emotion.

It took a few more minutes before May finally forced herself to climb off of Ash and break the embrace. She sat up, followed soon after by Ash as she wiped her face with her sleeve.

Ash, hoping to lighten up the mood a bit, teased. "I did say it wasn't going to be a happy story..."

His attempt at a joke seemed to fall flat as May simply stared at him. Her expression was one of great respect and admiration, but also disbelief. She truly couldn't believe that Ash, the type of person he was, even existed. How could a person be so pure hearted, especially after what he'd been through? She wasn't sure, but she had to let Ash know what she thought.

"Ash..." May began, making sure to speak as seriously as she could in order to get across just how sincere she was being. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you felt comfortable enough to tell me that story. And let me start off by saying this...you are nothing like the person your father is."

"I can't even begin to imagine what you went through, but I do know that you are by far the strongest person I have ever met. You stepped up at the age of six! There is no other person that would've been able to do that! Ash Ketchum...you are the purest, most kind hearted person I have ever, or will ever have the pleasure of meeting. Of that, I'm sure. I've never respected or admired anybody as much as I do you. You are an absolutely incredible person, Ash, and I am the luckiest girl in the world for getting to be your friend." May finished as sincerely as she could. She meant every word that she'd said, and she could tell that Ash was able to sense this.

While she normally would've been embarrassed praising someone so directly, May felt absolutely none of it in this moment.

Ash immediately became glad that he'd told May his story. He felt that it'd allowed the two to connect on an even deeper level, which it definitely did successfully. If there was ever any doubt that they were the closest of friends before, then there certainly wasn't now. Hearing everything that May had to say about him also made the man blush, not at all thinking he deserved everything that she'd said about him.

"Don't you think that's a bit much? I really appreciate the praise, but I really don't deserve all that you're saying. I mean, the reason I do this isn't just because I love helping people. It's also because I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of letting someone be hurt when I can do something to stop it; you can't exactly call my intentions pure. They're pretty selfish really..." Ash explained lightly, rubbing the back of his head. His humble personality simply wouldn't allow him to be praised so highly, and May recognized this immediately, causing her to smile.

May shook her head vehemently before responding. "No, Ash. It's no where near too much. In fact, it's not enough. You've saved so many people and pokemon because of who you are, and you've simply helped even more! It doesn't matter why you do it, what matters is that you _do it_ ; it makes it no less pure... You saved my life Ash, and you were willing to die in order to do so. Do you know how special that makes a person feel? How special that makes _me_ feel?" May let the question hang over Ash's head as she continued. "I've never felt so cared for in my life. You're a hero, Ash. There's no if, ands or buts about it. You're the best that this world has to offer, and I'm not exaggerating when I say the happiest girl in the world for getting the pleasure to be your friend."

Ash became even redder at May's words, if that was even possible. Sure Brock had said a lot of nice things to him when he'd told him this story as well, but it was nothing like what May was saying now. For as special as he'd apparently made May feel, she was making him feel even more so.

Ash smiled gratefully at the brunette, who returned it joyfully before the man pulled her in close, holding her tightly. May was more than happy to comply with the action and returned the hug immediately.

The two embraced in silence for a few minutes before Ash felt the need to speak. "Thank you, May. I'm so incredibly grateful that I got the chance to meet you. You're an amazing person. And you sure know how to make a guy feel good about himself."

May chuckled into his chest before reluctantly pulling back to meet his gaze. Despite pulling out of the embrace, the two kept their hands on each other. "I think I should be the one saying that to you, charmer."

Ash giggled at the girl's teasing as they shared yet another bright smile.

"I'm glad that I got to meet you too, even if the circumstances were...less than ideal. But make sure to do me a favor, would you?" May question the man in front of her. Seeing him nod, she continued with a smirk. "Try not to go throwing yourself off anymore cliffs in the future."

Both parties laughed at May's joke before embracing once more for a few moments. They only broke it when Ash let out a long yawn, causing the brunette to giggle.

"We should probably get some sleep. It'll do us a lot of good." May told Ash happily, who nodded in response.

Ash readjusted until he was laying down in his bed and May was sat in her chair right next to Ash. With one more thing to say, May looked to Ash's face once again.

"Hey, Ash? I truly meant everything I said, you know that, right?" May questioned hesitantly. She didn't think he felt that she was just saying the things she did, but she wanted to make sure that he knew that her words had come straight from her heart.

May saw Ash smile as he lifted his head to look at her. "Of course I do, May. And I want you to know that I've meant everything I've said about you as well since the moment I met you. I truly think you are a one of a kind person with absolutely amazing qualities. I'll never be able to thank Arceus enough for finding a friend like you. Goodnight, May."

Ash put his head down before he was able to see the massive blush that overcame May's face. She simply chuckled silently to herself; she was starting to become used to blushing all the time around Ash. She smiled softly before saying anything in response.

"Goodnight." May stated. "And me too, Ash. Me too..."

May felt lighter than air as she placed her had down on the bed. She had never been happier in her life. She never would've guessed that a near death experience could've been the best thing that'd ever happened to her. It wasn't but a few moments later that May heard Ash's breathing pattern change, indicating that he was asleep.

With the immense amount of comfort felt in Ash's presence, the woman found herself falling asleep quickly. But before she did, she grabbed Ash's hand in her own and allowed herself to fall into her dreams, which would almost certainly be about a certain raven haired trainer.

* * *

 **A/N: And theres chapter 6, hope you enjoyed it! So the reason Ash's father is such a sensitive topic is revealed. And even after only having told Brock this secret, he tells May after almost no time at all. This definitely proves just how close the two already are. Please follow, favorite and review! See ya!**


	7. Decision

How to Change a Life

May's eyes fluttered open, immediately realizing she was awakening in the newly familiar scene of the hospital room. The woman yawned as she stretched her back in the chair, interlocking her hands and stretching them above her head. She'd still yet to fully open her eyes as she did this.

As she finished stretching out her lower back, she hesitantly opened her eyes. She couldn't really help it at this point, the room was far too bright now with the light coming in through the window to still be comfortable with her eyes closed. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the clock. Seeing it read 9:00am, May decided she shouldn't go back to sleep, even though she wanted to at the moment. She knew that she would be more awake in just a matter of minutes.

As she sat there, her eyes scanned the room, assuming that everyone else was probably up already; Brock and Delia had almost always woken up before her over the past week. Though, she knew this was because she would usually stay up a bit later than them, just thinking about things in the silence night provided.

May was surprised to see that both Brock and Delia were still sleeping peacefully. She could see that both of them had small smiles on their faces as they remained in their dreams. She couldn't help but giggle when she noticed that Brock was holding his pillow close to his chest like a teddy bear rather than resting his head on it.

The reason they'd slept longer, May concluded, was because they were so comfortable having finally been able to sleep in a normal position on something that wasn't the ground or a chair. The cots were by no means the most comfortable things in the world, but they sure as hell beat the alternatives.

May smiled, happy that her new friends were able to be comfortable here for once. And as much as she would've liked to have slept on one of the cots, May was surprisingly comfortable sleeping the way she had been. She'd gotten very used to sleeping this way. Plus, having Ash so near to her made her feel more comfortable and safe than she normally would have.

What no one knew was that May had an extreme distaste for hospitals. After an incident in her youth, she began to hate hospitals and could never be calm while in one. This lead her to not be able to sleep much whenever she was forced to stay in a hospital. But that hadn't been a problem for May this time. Because of the immense amount of comfort and safety Ash provided for her, she was able to fall asleep normally and peacefully.

It was at this moment when the brunette let her eyes wander to the raven haired trainer, briefly pausing to take note that both Pikachu and Torchic were still snoozing at the foot of the bed. May was glad to see that Ash still had his eyes closed, asleep.

She knew that sleep was when the body repaired itself the most. And even though Ash had the majority of his severe injuries healed, he still had to deal with all of the cuts and bruises that remained littered across his body.

May began to wonder how the large gash on Ash's back was healing. She remembered the doctor saying that it was healing fine due to the stitches that'd been administered when they first got here, but she couldn't help but wonder if the miracle that had seemed to heal Ash managed to help that injury along as well.

She felt a bit badly about the fact that Ash would have such a large scar on his back due to the fall, but she didn't allow herself to dwell on this for long. She knew he wouldn't mind. In fact, he'd more than likely think it was cool. Plus in May's eyes, it would make him look brave and heroic. A reminder of what he'd done on that day. And it really was true what they say: chicks dig scars.

May smiled at the thought as she looked at Ash's face and watched him sleep for a few moments. His mouth was open just slightly, and May could hear his rhythmic breathing. She smiled toothlessly at the man as she continued to stare.

It was at this moment that May remembered everything she'd said the night before. Instantly, she turned bright red and looked away from the trainer's face, even though he wasn't even awake, and wouldn't be able to see her blush. May's face was on fire as she remembered exactly what she'd been told last night, and what she'd said back to him.

Looking back at it, she couldn't believe her boldness. Despite never having been in a situation like the one she was in the night before, it was still unlike her to be so bold with her words. She chalked it up to the fact that Ash telling her something so personal, so difficult for him, had made her want to make him feel better. Of course, she meant every word of what she'd said, she just couldn't believe her mouth had allowed her thoughts to pour out so freely.

In the end, she was glad that she'd said what she did. She really wanted Ash to know just how incredible he was and that what he was doing really was making a difference in the world. She respected and admired the man immensely, and she was happy that he knew what she thought about him now. A person like Ash deserved all the praise in the world in her eyes.

She managed to bring her gaze back to the man. She felt a smile pulling her lips upward, just from looking his way.

" _He looks so cute when he's asleep..."_ May thought to herself offhandedly. And though she once again turned red at her thoughts, she didn't look away this time.

After she'd spoken to Brock earlier in the week, she'd accepted the fact that she was harboring a crush on the man sleeping in front of her. And now that herself and Ash were once again able to have talks like the one they had the night before, she knew that her feelings would only grow deeper and deeper...

Most people wouldn't be able to develop feelings for someone so quickly, and May knew that. Though, the difference in this situation was that this 'someone', was Ash Ketchum. In May's eyes, it made perfect sense. He was a one of a kind person, and that led to this one of a kind scenario.

And though it'd happened so suddenly, May felt no doubt about her feelings. Most people try not to rush into having feelings for someone until they've known them for a good while; it was typically hard to gauge if the person they just met would be the same person a few months in the future. Many were worried that somewhere down the road, the person's true colors would show, and they would not be the same person they'd thought they were.

But May wasn't worried about that in the slightest. After everything she'd been told, everything she'd seen, she knew that the Ash she saw in front of her was the only Ash there was. With Ash, what you see is what you get.

And May felt confident in saying that she really _knew_ who Ash was. And after the conversation they'd had the previous night, she knew him better than most people on the planet.

She was still having a hard time believing that Ash was so willing to share his difficult past with her so soon, especially when he typically kept it a heavily guarded secret. Though, she was immensely glad that he did tell her as it made her understand him better. It deepened their friendship, their connection, even further. If nothing else, him telling her about his past showed that he felt he same deep connection that she did, which made her very happy.

At this time, the first of the gang began to stir, Pikachu. And as he shifted while waking up, he'd also accidentally woken Torchic up as well as the two were sleeping very closely together. Pikachu rubbed his beady black eyes with the back of his paw, which May found adorable, before the yellow pokemon looked to see May smiling at him.

Seeing her instantly made Pikachu wake up quicker as he put on a large smile at seeing his newest friend awake and smiling at him.

"Pika chu pi." Pikachu spoke quietly, waving a paw at the girl.

May chuckled and reached over to pet Pikachu's head. "Good morning, Pikachu."

Pikachu was very much enjoying the petting he was receiving before it suddenly came to a stop. Torchic, who'd become slightly jealous at seeing May giving Pikachu all of her attention, jumped into May's lap. This caused both her and Pikachu to chuckle. She was still a very young pokemon after all.

"Good morning to you too, Torchic." May said softly, not wanting to wake anybody by being too loud. She pet Torchic with her free right hand.

At this moment, May realized that her left had was still holding onto Ash's; after stretching when she'd first woken up, it seemed she'd reclaimed Ash's hand in her own. She'd actually forgotten about this; it just felt so natural. She allowed herself to stare at the two intertwined hands for a few moments.

It was then that Ash began to stir. May noticed, but still couldn't bring herself to retract her hand. It didn't take long before Ash opened his eyes, adjusted to being awake, and looked toward May. Immediately, he shot the woman a tired smile.

"Good morning, May. Did you sleep well?" May could still hear the sleepiness in Ash's voice as he spoke, but he would get past that quickly.

May smiled toothlessly and nodded her head. "Yes, I did. Sleeping in a chair is actually surprisingly comfortable to me."

Ash chuckled as he began to become more alert. "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

Just after Ash spoke, he took notice of the fact that May had her hand interlocked with his own, causing him to blush ever so slightly. May followed his gaze to their hands, going red and immediately forcing herself to pull away in embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry, Ash I-"

Ash simply smiled at the girl in front of him as he cut her off. "Don't apologize, May. I really don't mind. It's kind of comforting actually."

Ash then reached toward May and placed his hand atop her own, indicating that he was perfectly okay with the contact. The two shared a smile before Ash pulled his hand back once again. He then looked toward the clock, seeing it was 9:10am.

He then did his best to look over the foot of his bed to see if his mother and Brock were still asleep. He could see Brock clearly, but he could only really see half of his mother due to the angle he was at. Though, this was more than enough for him to tell that they were both still sleeping soundly. This made the man smile.

"Glad to see those two are enjoying the cots. It sure was nice of the professor to buy them for us." Ash mentioned offhandedly, earning a nod in agreement from May.

"Yeah, I can't wait for when he comes by today. He said he would come check in daily with Mightyena and the cubs after all." May stated before giggling at a thought she just had. Ash was still smiling, but also tilted his head in confusion. Noticing this, May continued. "I was just thinking about how crazy it is that Mightyena and her cubs are gonna be living with the professor now after just a little more than a week ago, they were trying to maul us, and had us ran up a tree."

Upon hearing May's explanation, Ash giggled as well; it was a pretty strange turn of events. "Yeah. I don't think they trusted humans very much before we helped them out. But once they realized they could trust us, I guess they really took a liking toward Professor Birch in particular for some reason."

"Yeah, you reviving Mightyena was definitely not something she was expecting, you could tell by her expression. She'd obviously never experienced a human's kindness before you came along. And now, they have a happy, safe home for herself and her cubs. I'm sure they'll have to go back to the wild some day but for now, they have a wonderful place to live and grow." May spoke happily. She'd taken a liking to the pokemon, as they all had, and she was happy that they had such a nice place to call home.

With all of the land that stretched behind the professor's lab, there would be no shortage of space for the pokemon to roam and become friends with other pokemon that lived there.

"I knew that I couldn't capture Mightyena as she had to care for her cubs, so them being at Birch's lab is the best thing for them for sure." Ash said, earning a nod of agreement from the brunette.

It was then that May and Ash heard some shuffling from over the foot of the bed. Surprisingly, both Brock and Delia sat up at nearly the same time, rubbing the tiredness out of their eye's with the palms of their hands.

They then turned to see Ash and May, wide awake, staring at them. Both Delia and Brock smiled at the two and wished them good morning. They then did the same to the to the two pokemon seated nearer to the them at the foot of the bed. Brock and Delia then took some time to wake up completely.

Ash clapping his hands together, and began rubbing them together. "So...what's on the agenda for the day?"

Despite his question, Ash already knew the answer.

Brock pretended to ponder, his thumb and forefinger on his chin, a thinking look on his face. "Hmmm...let's see...Well, at 12 o clock, we have sitting around... annnnddd that's about it."

Everyone chuckled at Brock's words, and Ash also sighed. He was never one to be good at staying cooped up in one place for too long. If May, Brock and his mother wouldn't have been there, he was sure he would go crazy.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing I plan on doing..." Ash started, gaining everyone's attention. "I want nothing more than to take a nice, hot shower today. I'm usually not one for such things, but I'm still kind of sore and it just sounds amazing to me right now."

Delia nodded at her son's request. "Okay, Ash. We'll see what the doctor says about that."

Ash appeared a bit discouraged as he realized he would have to ask the doctor's permission to do something as simple as taking a shower, but he nodded none the less, trying to remain positive.

It was then that he realized something. Not so discretely, he lifted the neck of his hospital gown and smelled himself. He hadn't even really thought about it but to his knowledge, he hadn't bathed in over a week, for obvious reasons. But even despite that, he still smelled clean.

Confused, Ash addressed his friends and mother, who'd seen what he'd done and were expecting a question. "This might be a strange question but, why don't I smell bad? I mean, I was out for a whole week, so I haven't exactly been able to shower."

Delia smiled as a wicked idea popped into her head. Sure, she was a responsible mother, but she liked to have a bit off fun every once in a while...

"Oh, you were given sponge baths!" Delia responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, causing Ash's eyes to widen.

Delia wasn't lying about the sponge baths. A few times over the course of the week, a few nurses, some male, but mostly female, would take Ash to another room and give him a sponge bath. It seemed bit strange to them all, but the nurses said that they did this all the time, and it wasn't weird for them in the slightest. But Delia was planning to make a few little _changes_ to the story she would tell Ash...

"S-Sponge baths? From who? Was it a guy, or a girl?" Ash questioned hesitantly. He wasn't sure which answer was worse. If it was a guy, he would certainly feel uncomfortable about it and if it was a woman, he would be embarrassed beyond belief. He was forced to accept that either way, he wasn't going to be winning in this situation. Though, he certainly didn't anticipate what his mother said next...

Delia was trying her best to hold in her laughter, and was doing so expertly. At the moment, she still held her typical motherly smile on her face, even as she said what she did next.

"Why we did of course! Myself, Brock, and May!" Delia spoke cheerfully, as if what she'd just said wasn't incredibly weird.

Somehow, Ash's eyes widened even further upon hearing his mother's words, and his face turned a deep shade of scarlet. He couldn't even begin to fathom the idea that this could've been a prank as he was simply too shocked to think straight.

" _May...saw me naked...? Or worse...Brock saw me naked!?"_ Ash thought to himself, incredibly embarrassed by both outcomes. He was just as embarrassed by the idea of his mother having seen him naked. Of course, she had before, but that was when he was just a young boy. Now, he was a full grown man. Just the thought of it alone made Ash cringe.

May's eyes were almost as wide as Ash's. Obviously, she knew that this wasn't true, but she was too surprised that Delia had said this to find the words to deny it. Instead she sat there, her face as red as Ash's, not knowing how to react.

" _Oh God...Ash is going to think I'm so sort of...pervert or something!"_ May exclaimed in her mind, very much worried about her thought becoming a reality. She really didn't want Ash's view of her to be tainted, especially when this story wasn't even true.

Brock's eyes had even almost opened past the usual slits they were before he realized what the young mother was doing. His thoughts were further confirmed when Delia turned her head and winked at the man, letting him in on the joke. Upon realizing this, Brock smiled and did his best to hold in his laughter.

The two let the mother's words simmer for a while, finding enjoyment over the two younger people's reactions. But after a few moments, Delia thought that they'd suffered enough. Immediately after she began laughing, Brock did as well, Delia's laugh being the catalyst. Even if they wanted to, there was no way they couldn't hold it in anymore.

It took a few moments for May and Ash to even realize that Brock and Delia were laughing but when they did, May instantly realized that they'd gotten her good. She knew it wasn't true from the beginning, but she was too shocked to be in on the joke. Ash on the other hand, was confused. Why would they be laughing about this...it was incredibly creepy.

"You should've seen your faces!" Delia exclaimed between fits of laughter. Upon hearing his mother's words Ash realized that she was just messing around with him. His blush remained on his face, much like May, as he was embarrassed for falling for such a prank.

But he knew how to take a joke, and May did as well. It didn't take long before the two victims began laughing as well.

"That was incredibly mean, Mom! I thought you all had seen me...you know! I can't believe you would do that to your own son!" Ash fake pouted and crossed his arms, causing everyone else to laugh even harder. After a few moments, the laughter finally calmed down.

"Oh, honey, it was just a harmless joke. Of course, we didn't give you sponge baths. That'd be incredibly weird, especially to us." Delia stated, earning vehement nods of agreement from both Brock and May.

"Wow Delia..." May started, garnering the woman's attention. "I never knew you had this side to you. You're pretty funny!"

Delia smiled gratefully at the young woman's words. "Thank you, May. I may be a mother, but I still like to have a bit of fun every once in a while."

Ash scoffed, his arms still folded across his chest. "Yeah, at my expense..."

Everyone giggled at Ash's words once again as they knew Ash wasn't actually angry.

"But you really had me going there..." Ash revealed, causing all eyes to fall on him. "I actually thought that I'd gotten a sponge bath, and by you three no less. Talk about uncomfortable."

"Umm...Ash?" Brock spoke slowly, causing the man to look at him, shooting him a questioning glance. "We might not have been the one's to do it, but you did receive a sponge bath. A few of them, actually..."

"WHAT!?" Ash exclaimed in shock. He could tell that they weren't kidding around this time. Plus, it seemed it was the only way he wouldn't be stinking up the place at the moment.

"Oh, it's not a big deal, Ash. A few nurses would come in every few days or so and give you a sponge bath. They didn't want to leave you all smelly. They said that they do it all the time, so don't even worry about it." Delia said to her son, who still appeared to be freaked out.

"I feel so...violated" Ash knew he was being overdramatic, but he was just very uncomfortable with the situation.

"Oh relax, dear. They didn't do anything they hadn't done a million times before. Plus, they had you keep your underwear on, so they didn't even see anything." This revelation from his mother calmed Ash down a great bit. He mainly felt uncomfortable about the idea of some random people, male or female, seeing him completely naked. But now that he knew they hadn't, he felt a bit better.

That is, until his mother continued. "Plus, the female nurses were very impressed. They gave quite a few compliments about you. A very pretty one even asked me how old you were!"

Ash blushed once again as his mom spoke. He felt incredibly awkward about the situation, but not as much as he had before. He supposed he could live with this, just as long as they hadn't seen him naked.

May felt familiar feelings return to her as she remembered when the nurses had said these things. She found it a bit strange how they were telling them, his friends and his mother, that they liked Ash's physique, but it didn't bother May too much; the were obviously simply admiring. In fact, it even made her daydream a bit about what he may look like under his shirt, and she very much enjoyed the thought.

But then she remembered being broken out of her thoughts when one of the nurses came closer to Delia and asked with complete seriousness how old Ash was. It was clear to see that she was hoping he was over 18 for... obvious reasons. May felt an incredible amount of jealousy as she heard the pretty nurse speak.

Delia saw the death glare that May was shooting the nurse and had to suppress a giggle at the sight. She decided quickly that she would help May out by saying that Ash wasn't looking for a girlfriend as he was focusing on pokemon battling, despite being of age. The nurse was noticeably disappointed, but accepted the excuse and left the room.

May remembered being appreciative toward what Delia had done. And after seeing the young mother wink at her, May knew that her crush on Ash was now known by the young mother as well. Though, she didn't really mind this. She knew that Delia would never tell Ash her secret. She was actually kind of glad that she had someone else she could talk to about it should she ever feel the need to.

"You know what, let's just forget about all of that. This was definitely not the first thing I wanted to hear when I woke up this morning..." Ash spoke with exasperation, causing everyone to chuckle once again, nodding their heads ad voicing their agreements.

The group talked about menial topics for another 30 minutes or so until the clock read 10:00am. As if he was waiting for just the right time, Ash's doctor walked in right as the clock's second hand struck 12.

The doctor immediately shot a friendly smile to those in the room. "Good morning, everyone. Glad to see you're all awake. Hopefully you managed to get a good nights sleep. Especially you, Ash, as we have a bit of work to do today."

Ash tilted his head in confusion at the doctor's words. "What do you mean, doc? What is it I have to do?"

"Well, even though you appear to be significantly better, there's a chance you still may have trouble walking normally without a bit of practice. Even if your spine hadn't been slightly injured during the fall, just laying in bed for a week would certainly make walking difficult at first." The doctor explained.

The slight spinal injury was something the doctors had found after their initial diagnosis. It wasn't anything that they were too worried about, and Ash still had all feeling in his extremities, even when he first arrived. Though, the doctor still wanted to make sure that he would be able to go back to being 100 percent normal as soon as possible. And walking was obviously very, very important, especially to a man on a pokemon journey.

"Well, doc, I felt okay yesterday. I walked all the way to the bathroom. Of course, I needed a bit of help both ways, but I certainly felt better after being on my feet for a bit." Ash revealed to the doctor, who was slightly surprised by this. He wrote this down on his clipboard before looking back up at Ash.

"That's great to hear, Ash. Sounds like we won't need to do as much as I originally thought. And though I wish you would've asked before you tried to walk, I'm glad to hear that you were able to get around effectively." The doctor said to Ash.

Ash smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head before responding. "Hehe...Sorry doc, I had a bit of a bathroom emergency. I didn't really have a choice."

The doctor simply smiled in response. "Don't worry about it, Ash. It's not a big deal. Even though you feel okay walking, I'm still going to have you do a bit of physical therapy each day, just to keep your legs awake. Plus, it will most likely feel good to get out of bed every once in a while."

Ash nodded his head before tossing the blanket off of his lower half, and shifting so that his legs hung off the bed. As she saw him do this, May stood from her chair, and pulled it back as to give Ash more room.

"So, are we going to do this now?" Even though he'd already prepared himself to stand, Ash thought it better to make sure that this was to be done now. Plus, Ash really wanted to get up and walk around at the moment, now that the idea had been put in his head.

"Sure. We could do it anytime today so if you want to do it now, then that's no problem. I actually want you to do this twice a day just so you're up on your feet for longer." The doctor explained, receiving a nod of understanding from not only Ash, but the others who were listening intently as well.

The doctor the motioned toward Brock and May. "Could you two stand on either side of Ash, just in case he has any trouble. I would hate for him to fall"

Both May and Brock were happy to comply and took their positions on either side of Ash's body not touching him or holding him, but ready to catch him should he fall.

Ash slapped his legs a few times, thinking this would help get the blood flowing through them before he would stand up. He took a deep breath, and made the transition from sitting to standing perfectly.

The doctor appeared to be pleased by the result, and wrote a note down on his clipboard before looking at Ash once again. "Okay, well done. Now, I want you to walk to me. Even if you feel fine, take it slow. I don't want you to overexert yourself."

Ash nodded in understanding before preparing to take a step. He was confident that he would be able to get to the doctor without a problem as he was already feeling better than he had when he'd first tried to walk the previous day. His legs were nowhere near as shaky, instead they held strong. He actually looked to be standing quite normally.

As Ash moved his left foot forward, May and Brock moved with him, still prepared to catch him should he fall. Though, it didn't seem the man would need them. The strides took a bit longer as he had to use more strength to will his legs forward since he hadn't used them in a while, but his steps held strong. And after a few moments, he reached the doctor, whom had been standing about 15 feet away.

Ash let a huge smile cross his face when he reached the doctor. He pumped his fist triumphantly, similar to when he would win a gym badge. "Alright, I did it! I feel almost normal, doc!"

The doctor matched Ash's smile, genuinely happy that it seemed that Ash wouldn't need more extensive the physical therapy. Though, he would still have him continue with it, just to give Ash a reason to stand up and move his legs as to strengthen them back to normal; he doubted this would take more than a couple of days. But because of how well he'd done, the doctor didn't even really feel the need to be there when he did his walking around.

"Yes, I can tell. I must say, you once again impress with your ability to heal so quickly. If I had to guess, I'd say you'll be back to normal in a few of days at the most. You're already much, _much_ further along than I would've expected from somebody who'd suffered an injury as severe as the one you did. It's looking very good for you, Ash." The doctor finished with a smile.

After seeing this man completely beat the odds and survive, he'd gained a new appreciation for being a doctor. And seeing his patient doing so well made him glad that he was able to help people, even if he wasn't sure just how much of the reason Ash's life was saved was because of him.

"Thanks a lot, doc. You've been really helpful through all of this." Ash spoke sincerely, very thankful that he was lucky enough to have been injured so close to such a great hospital. The doctor nodded hi head in recognition of Ash's thanks, before Ash had a thought. "Actually, I don't think I ever got your name?"

"Richard Miller, or Doctor Miller. You can call me anything you want. I've actually come to quite like the moniker 'doc', as you've been calling me" Doctor Miller spoke sincerely, his tone bright.

Ash nodded his head. "You got it, doc."

"Okay. Well, since I'm here, I might as well take a look at your back. I need to replace the bandages anyway." The doctor told the man. "This would be much easier if you were laying down, if you don't mind."

Ash nodded at the doctor's words, before he began walking back toward the bed. Brock and May still followed closely, even though they could tell Ash felt even better walking on the way back than he did earlier. It didn't take long at all for him to reach the bed. It was currently unoccupied from the two pokemon who were previously laying on it; they'd jumped to the floor, out of the way when Ash had first gotten up.

Ash lay down on his stomach, leaving his back partially exposed as the hospital gown was open in the back. Ash was thankful that he had his boxer briefs on, or else this would've been really embarrassing.

After the doctor had gotten into the position that he wanted to be in, the others gathered around the bed as well, very curious to see how the massive cut was healing. At the moment, it was still covered by a very large bandage, but that would be coming off soon enough.

Doctor Miller acknowledged Ash before he began. "I'm going to take the bandage off now. Let me know if you feel any pain or pulling that doesn't feel right."

The doctor didn't think it would happen, but there was always a chance that a stitch could've stuck to the sticky part of the large, makeshift bandage.

Seeing Ash nod, the doctor proceeded to slowly and carefully remove the bandage after he pulled the gown open more. Brock, May and Delia all watched in morbid curiosity as more and more of the immense gash could be seen every second. Once the whole bandage was taken off, the three became horrified by the sight.

The cut was so immense, that it was almost hard to believe. Plus, the area surrounding it was black and blue from what was clearly very deep bruising. They could also see a number of other bruises on his back. It wasn't a pretty sight.

The doctor examined the slash closely and nodded his head. "It's looking better, Ash. The bruising is starting to go fade a bit and the gash is closing up nicely as far as I can tell."

"You're saying that the bruising is going away...?" May questioned incredulously. It was still so black and blue that is was hard to believe that the doctor actually considered this to be 'fading'.

May met the brunette's gaze before responding. "Believe me, it was much worse before. This is a vast improvement from when he first got here."

Doctor Miller's words shocked Brock, May and Delia. This was actually the first time that they'd seen the man's back without the bandage on. They'd only changed the bandage a couple of other times during the week, and none of them had wanted to watch as because Ash was still comatose at the time, they believed that it would only remind them of the severity of the situation.

The doctor shuffled around a bit in a cabinet off to the side before returning with a bottle of common hydrogen peroxide. "This is going to be a bit cold, but it shouldn't sting at all."

With that said, the doctor poured a controlled amount of the bottle's contents up and down the entirety of the cut. Ash flinched slightly as it first made contact with his skin as he realized that the doctor was right about the liquid being cold.

Everyone watched as it bubbled up. Of course, they'd all used this stuff on common cuts one would get in everyday life, but seeing a gash this long bubble the entire way was a sight to see. Despite the fact that the cut was still bubbling, indicating infection, the doctor wasn't worried. It wasn't bubbling badly, and each day they were getting rid of the chances of serious infection more and more, especially as the slash closed up completely, which the doctor was confident would happen before Ash left the hospital.

The doctor then grabbed a towel and dabbed up and down the cut, drying it off. He then reached for the long replacement bandage and went to work on placing it over the gash. He did it slowly and precisely, making sure not to catch any of the stitches in the sticky part.

It wasn't long before Doctor Miller was complete. "Alright. That'll do it."

With that said, Ash flipped himself over on the bed and sat up. "Thanks again, doc. I appreciate it."

Doctor Miller smiled. "It's no problem, Ash. I'm just doing my job."

It was then the doctor remembered something he had to share with the group in the room. Seeing the expression on the man's face change to one of remembrance, everyone waited to hear what he had to say.

"Because you're no longer in critical condition, we'll be moving you out of ICU. We'll be putting you in room 126, in the general ward. If you walk out of the doors to the ICU, you'll see another set of doors to your right that will lead you to your new room." Doctor Miller explained.

Everyone was happy at the news. Even though they knew that Ash was doing better, the fact that he was to be moved out of intensive care just helped cement the fact that he was going to be okay.

"That sounds great, doc. When will I be moved?" Ash questioned, hoping it would be after he was able to take the shower he desperately wanted at the moment.

"Well, the room should be finished being set up in about 10 minutes or so, so we can make the transition anytime after that really." The doctor told Ash, while also explaining what else was going to happen.

As the doctor spoke, Brock's eyes went to the two cots he'd helped bring in earlier. He fond himself wishing that he'd been told about the room switch before they'd brought the cots into the room. It was looking like he would have to move them again...

Brock stood to his feet, gaining everyone's attention. Seeing that all eyes were on him, Brock explained. "Well...then I better get ready to move these cots to the new room. That'll be fun..."

Everyone immediately understood what the man was doing as he explained his actions. Since they were in the process of setting up the new room, Brock thought he should move the cots now. Though as Brock was bending down to grab one of the cots, the doctor halted him with his words.

"You don't have to do that, Brock. Once I leave here, I'll let one of my friends on the janitorial staff know that these need to be moved to another room. He owes me a favor anyway. You did already carry them in once after all." The doctor told Brock, earning a smile from the man.

It was easy to see the relief on his face, causing the others in the room to giggle at his reaction. Brock nodded his head in appreciation, earning one in return from the doctor.

"Alright, that should be it. I'll be taking my leave for now but remember, the new room is number 126." The doctor reminded the occupants of the room.

The man then turned to leave, only to be stopped by Ash's voice as he remembered something.

"Wait, doc!" Doctor Miller turned around to face the source of the voice, Ash. "Would it be okay if I take a shower? I know I'll have to walk a bit more than normal, but I really want this."

The doctor sighed as he thought over the request. "Well...the showers aren't too far away from the room, I suppose. But I would have to replace your bandage again after you get out of the shower, most likely..."

"Please, doctor." Doctor Miller was surprised that the pleading hadn't come from Ash, but from the beautiful brunette woman, May, whom he noticed was currently giving him puppy dog eyes. She knew how much Ash wanted this simple luxury, and she wanted nothing more than for him to be as happy as possible.

The doctor sighed once more before relenting. "Alright, alright. How could I say no to that look. Plus, it'll be good to get you moving around, I suppose. Just make sure someone escorts you to the showers, just in case. It'll be the furthest you've walked since the accident, so do that just to be safe.

"This'll also work out for the room transition. Whomever doesn't escort Ash to the shower can move to the new room as soon as it's done being set up. That way by the time you're done with your shower, you can go straight to the new room." The doctor added.

Ash nodded happily at the doctor before asking one more question. "And do you think I could change into my real clothes when I'm done in the shower? Now that I'm walking around, not having a back on this hospital gown is a bit...too breezy for my liking..."

The doctor chortled at Ash's words before thinking over his request. Typically, they always had their patients wear the hospital gown for the entirety of their stay. But in some cases, they would allow patients to wear normal clothing, as long as they wouldn't get in the way of anything the doctor's may have to get to. And really at this point, Ash was only still in the hospital for monitoring, so he didn't see the harm.

"I suppose so, but only if they still allow access for the doctors to do anything they may need to do. Actually, it'd help if I could see the clothes if you wouldn't mind..." The doctor requested.

"Sure. Brock, can you grab my clothes from my bag. It's up against the wall next to you." Ash asked of his friend, who happily complied.

Once he grabbed it, he showed each piece of clothing to the doctor.

After seeing them, the doctor addressed Ash once again. "You can wear the T-shirt without the jacket, and if you have shorts instead of those pants, that would be better; more comfortable too."

Without being asked, Brock reached into the bag again and successfully found a pair of black athletic shorts. Seeing this, the doctor smiled.

"Perfect. I see no harm in allowing you to wear these. But just know, at some point I may need to have you put on the gown again if something should come up." The doctor told the raven haired man.

Ash nodded in acknowledgement before the doctor finally made his leave. Ash then met May's gaze. "Thanks for the assist on the shower thing, May. Those puppy dog eyes are a killer."

May chuckled at Ash's words and nodded in appreciation. "Yeah, they're kind of my 'secret weapon', or something like that."

The two shared a laugh at their banter before the room fell into a comfortable silence once again. As this was going on, Ash prepared himself to stand to his feet. Feeling significantly better now, it didn't take long at all for him to stand.

"Alright, I'm gonna go take that shower now." Ash said as he slowly made his way to the door, only to be stopped by the voice of his mother.

"Hold it, Ash! Remember, the doctor said someone has to come with you. So just wait a minute so we can figure out who should go." Delia told her son, causing him to sigh; Ash had never exactly been a patient person.

"I'd be happy to go along." May spoke up. "It's not like I'd really be doing anything here anyway."

Ash smiled as he faced May, happy that the deliberation didn't take long at all.

"Great, thanks May. Let's get going!" Ash spoke happily.

After May responded with a nod, the two walked out of the room. The pace they were walking at was much slower than normal, as Ash didn't want to push himself too far so soon, even if he was feeling better. Because the showers were a fair distance away, and their walking speed was slow, they would have a minute or two before they'd reach them.

"Man, I'm super excited for this shower." Ash mentioned offhandedly, not wanting to walk in silence. "But it's strange, I'm normally not one for such things. I usually just shower to get clean, not really to enjoy it."

"Well, you're said you were still sore, right?" May questioned. Upon seeing Ash nod in the affirmative, May continued. "Then it makes sense. A hot shower is great for alleviating soreness. I could really go for a shower too, actually..."

May had mentioned the last part without really meaning anything by it, she was just going to shower sometime after Ash, but Ash took it as her saying she wished to shower now. And since they were already going there, Ash didn't see a reason why she couldn't shower as well.

"Okay, this is perfect then! You can shower at the same time I do. That way, you won't just have to sit around and wait for me to finish." Ash said to the brunette.

May blushed lightly at the suggestion and responded quickly. "O-Oh...no... I'm...okay."

Ash was confused by the girl's response. "Why not? It's not like we'd be in the same place. I mean, I'd assume there would be a men's and a woman's shower room."

"Actually, there's not. The doctors told me that something was wrong with the woman's room." May responded, explaining the situation.

Ash became even more confused by May's words. "But...you and my mom have showered since you've been here. So...how did you do it then?"

"Well, they obviously couldn't only have a men's shower room, so what they did was cut the men's room in half." May paused, seeing if Ash was following. After seeing on Ash's face that he couldn't picture what she meant, she tried her bet to explain it better. "The room has showers on both walls. So what they did was hang a long curtain right down the middle of the room, separating the two sides, one for men and one for women."

Ash walked in silence for a few moments, trying to picture what May was saying. After a while, he thought he had an idea of the layout. Plus, it didn't really matter as he'd be seeing it soon anyway.

It was then Ash began to really think about what May was telling him. Why was she so uncomfortable showering if there was virtually no chance of them seeing each other while doing so?

"Then what's the problem?" Ash started. "It sounds like the room is split up, so there's no chance of us seeing each other."

May put her head down slightly as they walked as the blush returned to her face upon hearing Ash's words.

"I know, it's just..." May trailed off, not knowing how to argue his point.

"And you've showered everyday while there were others in there, probably some guys too, right?" Ash questioned, trying to push his point further.

May thought for a second and simply nodded. She did remember hearing the showers from the male side running a few of the times she was in there.

"Then there shouldn't be a problem, right?" Ash wasn't trying to pressure her, he just wanted her to be able to do what she wanted, to not feel uncomfortable. And obviously, she wanted a shower and this way, she wouldn't have to come back later. "If you don't want to, that's totally fine. I just thought it would be more convenient this way."

With Ash's infallible reasoning, May decided to just go along with it. A shower really did sound nice at the moment, and they would be on separate sides of the shower. It really shouldn't have been a problem.

Once this was decided, the two finally reached the entrance to the shower. Ash immediately saw what May was talking about. Starting right at the doorway, a curtain cut off half of the room. Ash noticed the right side of the doorway had a sign that indicated it was for the men.

Before he entered, he turned to May, smiled jovially, and gave her a two finger salute. "Alright, see you on the other side!"

May watched as Ash entered and immediately went out of sight. May sighed and steeled herself before entering her own side. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for her; it hadn't been for the entirety of their stay at the hospital. But this time was a bit different. It wasn't some random guy showering on the other side.

It was Ash.

And for some reason, she couldn't get over the fact that herself and Ash were going to be showering, completely naked, in what could be considered the same room, at the same time. Her face was hot and she doubted the heat would go away until they were both fully clothed once again

Both May and Ash were surprised to find both of their sides free of others, leaving them the only people in the room. After taking note of this, both parties turned on a shower and allowed it to warm up. They then began to undress.

"You doing okay over there?" Ash spoke teasingly, knowing May would be able to hear him over the curtain.

Ash's voice made May jump slightly, as she was completely lost in her thoughts. But for some reason, hearing Ash's teasing tone of voice helped calm her down quite a bit. This would only be weird if she made it so, she realized.

With a smile, May responded. "I think I should be the one asking you that! I mean, you are the one who just woke up from a coma a day ago."

May heard Ash laugh at her words, causing her to smile brighter.

"You've got a point there, May. But I'm doing just fine." Ash responded back, the laughter still being heard in his voice.

Once the two were completely bare, they both approached their respective shower. May was still covering her private areas with her arms and hands, even though she knew no one would see her. Even after becoming more comfortable, she still couldn't get over the fact that she was naked so close to Ash. And he was as well...

May entered the shower, hoping the pleasant hot water would relax her even more. The water was soothing to both parties, especially Ash whom was dealing with soreness.

"Now this is just what I needed..." Ash spoke to himself, though May could still hear him, causing her to giggle.

But again, this caused her to think about the situation yet again. Without really meaning to, May's mind began to wander to a...different place.

She knew Ash was in shape, that much was clear, and she created what she thought his body would look like in her mind. She allowed herself to enjoy the image before she snapped herself out of it. This was not like her at all. She decided to just begin washing herself with the soap and shampoo the hospital provided and force her mind elsewhere. Though, she wasn't exactly convinced she'd be able to keep the images from flashing in her mind again.

Though, May had no idea that Ash's mind was in a similar place. He hadn't really thought about it before now, but with the running shower being the only sound, his mind began to wander.

When he finally realized that himself and May were both naked at this moment, he couldn't help but blush. Maybe this was why May had been so hesitant to shower at the same time as him, Ash rationalized.

And he wasn't proud if it, but he did allow his mind to wander to May's figure. She was an incredibly beautiful girl, that was clear from the start. Her hourglass figure would would surely catch any man's attention, and Ash was no exception. And with the knowledge that she was showering at the moment, Ash couldn't help but let his hormones take over and cause his mind to picture her.

She was more than ample up top, and Ash couldn't help but let his mind picture what she would look like. That being said, she was also seemingly perfect everywhere else, and his mind didn't allow him to forget about that either. It was only a few moments that he allowed his mind to run this way before he forced the thoughts out of his head.

" _What am I doing...? Sure, she's pretty, beautiful even, but I shouldn't be thinking like this. It's disrespectful to her."_ Ash thought to himself. His mom had always taught him from a young age to respect women. And in his mind, what he was doing was disrespectful to May, someone he would never in a million years want to offend.

Somehow, Ash had managed to keep the amount these images popping back into his head to a minimum and began to enjoy his shower once again. At one point, he even began singing one of his favorite songs...

...and loudly.

May couldn't help but laugh at Ash's off-key singing before joining in herself. May was incredibly happy that she felt comfortable enough around Ash to goof around and sing around him, even despite the fact that her singing voice was less than professional level. Ash was thinking something similar. He once again found himself very glad that himself and May's friendship had progressed so quickly.

By the time the two finished their not so great rendition of the song, May's shower turned off. Though, she noticed Ash's was still running. She then reached for a towel and began drying herself off while still behind the curtain of her individual shower. Once she was dry enough, she wrapped the towel around herself so that it covered her private areas and left the shower. Even after she was fully dressed, she still heard Ash's shower running.

"You almost done in there!?" May questioned. She didn't actually need for him to hurry, she was just teasing him. She then made her way back into the hallway, but stood right by the entrance so she would still be able to hear Ash and vice versa.

"Yep, just finished!" As Ash spoke, May heard his shower turn off.

Ash dried himself off and began to get dressed.

May smirked and tapped her foot in mock impatience. "Would you it hurry up!?"

While Ash could tell she was just kidding around, he decided to 'respect' her wishes and come out now. Only thing was, he wasn't completely done dressing himself...

Ash didn't respond but after just a few moments, he appeared from the doorway, smiling at May.

"Sorry for taking so long. It just felt so nice in there!" Ash spoke jovially, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

May currently didn't have the capacity to respond. Her eyes were glued to Ash's form. He was currently wearing everything...

….except for his shirt, which was being held in his hand instead of on his torso.

May literally couldn't stop herself from staring. It was almost exactly how she pictured. He was chiseled beyond belief. A strong, broad chest led to a set of perfectly defined six pack abs. May was too stunned, too enamored by the sight to move. Her face turned bright red immediately, but she couldn't bring herself to look away.

" _His... body is...Wow..."_ May thought to herself. Even in her mind, she was breathless. She could feel the drool building up in her mouth.

May didn't even notice the smirk appear on Ash's face, noticing that his plan worked to perfection.

Deciding she'd had enough teasing, Ash spoke in a fake hurt voice. "My eyes are up here, you know?"

Hearing Ash speak seemed to be what was needed to break May out of her daze. She shook her head quickly and met Ash's gaze, her face turning even redder. She immediately noticed the smirk on his face.

May turned around and ducked her head, hoping to hide her blush. "Jerk..."

Ash laughed at May's words as he knew that she wasn't actually mad.

"I'm more than just a piece of meat!" Ash continued the teasing.

This time, May actually giggled at his words. Again, May felt incredibly strange about the fact that she'd became comfortable with the situation so quickly. Even standing in front of Ash with his shirt off, May felt more comfortable than ever now that she was passed the initial shock of it all. And that's what allowed her to retort.

May turned back around, her blush retreating with a smirk on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at Ash in a mock lecherous gaze. "You can't walk out here like that and not expect a girl to look, now can you? I'm just admiring the view..."

The boldness in May's words actually surprised Ash slightly and caused him to bush, which May noticed. Seeing this, she dropped her arms to her sides and began laughing.

Seeing this, Ash shook his head and chuckled as well whilst putting his shirt on his body.

Ash motioned to himself. "There...better?"

May pretended to be considering which form was better for a moment. "Hmmm...I'm not so sure..."

"Oh shut it..." Ash spoke in a fake annoyed tone with a smirk as he walked past the girl in the direction of his new room, causing May to giggle once more before following closely behind.

"And I'm totally gonna get you back for that little stunt back there, mister." May spoke, sternly. Though, the broad smile on her lips betrayed her tone completely.

"I look forward to seeing you try, Ms. Maple." Ash responded back with a smirk, earning one in return from the brunette.

"I'll tell you what though." Ash started, gaining May's attention as the two now walked side by side. "That shower was exactly what I needed. I feel even better than before!"

May smiled happily at the news. "I'm glad to hear that. Everyday, you get stronger, and everyday is one day closer to leaving this place."

Ash scoffed. "Yeah, I really want to just get on the road and start my journey. Don't you feel the same?"

May took a moment to think about what Ash had said. Sure, she was incredibly excited to travel the world, but over the past week, she'd almost began to dread the thought of leaving on her journey.

As it stood now, once Ash and herself went on their respective journeys, they wouldn't see each other again for god knows how long, if ever again. This thought alone depressed May more than anything ever had before.

Despite what she was feeling, May tried her best to put on a fake smile and respond happily. "Yeah...definitely."

When Ash stopped walking and looked at her with concern written all over his face, May knew that she hadn't sounded convincing at all.

"May, what's wrong?" Ash asked, concern coating his words.

"I don't know what you're tal-"

"Please don't do that, May. You can tell me." Ash cut off the brunette. Ash's soft and concerned tone struck May's heart. She could tell how concerned he was for her, how much he cared about her, and this was just making the idea of them separating that much harder.

Seeing she wasn't responding, Ash let out a sigh before steeling himself and forcing May to meet his gaze. "May, I'm not gonna push it if it's something you don't want to talk about, but I want you to know that you can tell me absolutely anything. I'll never judge you, or get mad at you, nothing like that. You've done so much for me May, and I just want to be there for you."

May looked at Ash, once again in wonder. She could clearly hear all the care and concern in his voice and it warmed her heart. And though she wanted to tell him what was on her mind, she just couldn't bring herself to do so at the moment.

May smiled as genuinely as she could at Ash and pushed all the negative thoughts out of her head. "There's just a couple of things on my mind, nothing major. And I know you're here for me. You have been since we first met. I trust you more than anybody in the world, but I just need to think over some things before I talk about them. I promise, I'll tell you soon, okay?"

Ash reluctantly nodded his head. He really wished she would just tell him what was wrong now, but he knew better than to force something out of someone. If she didn't want to talk about it, then he wouldn't force her to. It was her choice if she wanted to share, and Ash would always respect that.

"Okay, May. But let me just say this...I've never met anyone like you, someone who I connected with so fast. Never have I become such great friends, best friends, with someone I met so recently. And you're just that, May, one of my best friends. That will never change. And I will always, _always_ be there to help my friends. So when you feel ready to talk, I swear on my life that I will be there to listen and help in any way I can." Ash finished, speaking with an incredible amount of conviction. Ash took matters of his friends very, _very_ seriously _._

Ash's words were enough to being tears to May's eyes, though they didn't overflow. Without a second thought she lunged forward and hugged the taller man as tightly as she could. She'd never had a friend as close as Ash, and hearing him say all that he did made her feel incredibly cared for. She knew she would have to bring up the topic of traveling sooner or later but for now, she just wanted to relish in this moment.

The two stayed embraced for almost a minute. During this time, a number of doctors and nurses walked by and looked at the duo, smiling at them.

While still embracing the man, May spoke while giggling. "You know...I've never really had a best friend before."

After she spoke, the two broke the hug and smiled softly at each other.

"Well...no matter what happens with anyone else, from now on, you'll always have at least one friend in me. Once you become a friend of mine, it stays that way. And that means for life." Ash finished sincerely before he was wrapped up once again in what was becoming a familiar embrace with the brunette.

This hug only lasted for a few seconds, but it meant just as much. The two then continued their walk to Ash's new room.

The two walked in a comfortable silence, both thinking about various things. May's mind, however, was on one thing in particular.

May smiled to herself. "You know...the day everything went down...I think that might have been one of the best days of my life."

Ash looked to the girl next to him, slightly shocked. Though, he then began chuckling. "That's not really something I'd expect to hear from someone who almost fell off a cliff that day."

May giggled at Ash's words before speaking sincerely. "But seriously, even despite everything...It all worked out in the end. Plus, if none of that would've happened, I never would've met you."

May finished timidly, slightly embarrassed about what she was saying; indirectly, she was telling Ash that meeting him was one of the best things that'd ever happened to her. That being said, she simply couldn't bring herself to care too much about her embarrassment at the moment.

Ash smiled softly at May's words and the adorable timidness in her voice before thinking himself.

"You know what? I think you're right...That has to be one the best days of my life as well." Ash spoke softly and truthfully, causing May to smile brightly. Ash place an arm around May's shoulder and pulled her close for a momentary side hug as they walked before letting her go.

Even thought they'd been connected for less than a second, she still couldn't help but miss Ash's arm being draped over her shoulders like it was. She realized right then what needed to happen. There was no way that she was letting them split up. Forget waiting for him to ask. She didn't care what had to happen, she was going to go with him on this journey, no matter what.

She just feared rejection so much. She was still worried about the idea of slowing him down, and she didn't know if Ash may feel that way as well. If Ash thought that her being there would slow him down, then he surely wouldn't want her to travel with him, right? If he were to say no to her request to travel with him, May wasn't sure she'd be able to start her journey right away; she'd be too upset.

Plus, now that she had someone she could consider a best friend, she couldn't stand the idea of traveling alone. Plus, she would also have another close friend in Brock along with them. And after everything that Brock had told her about their journey's, May wanted nothing more than to be a part of them, to experience all of these incredible things side by side with her best friends. Adventure always seemed to find Ash, and she really wanted to experience those adventures by his side.

Also, as much as she was embarrassed to admit it, Ash was the first person she'd ever had a real crush on. After talking to him, hearing about all the things that he'd done, and learning of his past, she could safely say she had feelings for him. And if they split up, she'd never have the opportunity to see where these feelings could possibly lead. It very well could be just be a heat of the moment type of thing, with her simply admiring the man an incredible amount, but she'd never know if they were to split up. That being said, she sincerely doubted it was a 'heat of the moment' type thing.

She told herself that she would tell him before they were to leave her house to start their journeys. After all...

That would be her last chance.

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 **A/N: Theres chapter 7! I hope you all enjoyed. Honestly there really wasn't much support in the form of reviews last chapter at all. There were only 2 reviews (which I appreciate very much from Idotpart1 and MANbearPIG01), and that's kind of discouraging as an author, especially since that was one of the longest chapters of the story. That being said, I know that not every chapter will be reviewed a lot, and as long as you all are still reading, I am happy. But please, try to leave a review on this chapter. They really keep me going! See ya!**


	8. Talk

**A/N: Just a quick note, the gang will be leaving the hospital in chapter 10. I will be posting chapter 9 tomorrow and Chapter 10 the next day so the story can progress for those who are looking forward to a change in setting.**

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How to Change a Life

The two waked in a comfortable silence, with both parties simply thinking about random things. Without even realizing it, they came to the door that would lead out of the ICU. Ash pulled the door open, and allowed May to enter first, earning him a smile and thanks.

Just as the doctor had said, the immediately saw the doors that would lead them to the general ward of the hospital. Passing by a receptionists desk, the two entered the hallways and began their search for room 126.

It wasn't long before the pair found the room. They wasted no time in entering. Immediately ,they noticed just how similar the room was to the one in ICU. It had the exact same set up and appeared to be almost identical. The only difference was that this room didn't have as many machines near the bed, which was to be expected as no one in this ward would be in critical condition, meaning they required less medical equipment.

The two then noticed that the cots had been moved already and placed in the same position they had been in the other room, at the foot of the bed, Their eyes finally fell upon Delia and Brock, whom were sitting in chairs having a conversation.

As the two entered, both Brock and Delia smiled at the pair.

"Hey guys! How was your shower, Ash?" Brock questioned.

Ash smiled back. "It was great! May actually showered as well since she was already there."

May nodded her head, confirming Ash's words. Delia smiled happily at the two.

"Oh that's great, sweetie. I'm glad that it was nice." Delia spoke in sweet, motherly tone.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed as he jumped from his spot on the bed and into Ash arms. Ash almost didn't have time to react as he wasn't expecting this.

Ash began laughing after he caught his first pokemon and started petting his on the cheeks. "Hey there, buddy. I haven't been gone for that long, you know?"

Everyone smiled at the scene. It was so clear to see the incredibly deep bond the two shared. May remembered how Ash had used the word 'brothers' to describe their relationship. At the time, May found that a bit weird; a pokemon and a human being brothers just seemed a little out there. Obviously, it was metaphorical, but still. But now, May perfectly understood that their bond was simply as deep as family, and found that amazing.

This was really the first thing she'd ever found all that interesting about pokemon. Obviously, her dad loved his pokemon very much, but even he didn't have the same bond with his pokemon that Ash and Pikachu did. May wondered why that was, but simply chalked it up to the fact that Ash just had a way with pokemon that most others didn't. A way that he thought she also had...

May couldn't help but hope that herself and Torchic could build a bond like the one Ash and Pikachu shared. It was all so strange to May. A week ago, she didn't even want to deal with owning a pokemon, even feared them slightly, and was only getting one to be able to start her _real_ journey. But now, she actually wanted to connect with Torchic and be the best trainer she could be to her.

May's eye's fell on the chick pokemon, whom she noticed appeared annoyed that she couldn't make the same jump that Pikachu did into May's arms. Seeing her pokemon jumping up and down, May smiled and approached her. May then picked her up, which Torchic was very happy about.

"Hey, Torchic. I'm happy to see you too." May told the orange pokemon, who chirped her name happily in response. May pet her for a few moments before setting her back down next to Pikachu, who had been placed back on the bed by Ash just moments before.

Ash then sat down on the bed, and brought his legs up. He propped himself up against the head of the bed so that he was sitting up. May pulled up a chair to what would be her usual spot right next to the bed and sat down. Torchic hopped in the brunette's lap after she sat, which she happily accepted.

The room then fell into a silence for a while, with everyone just adjusting themselves to be comfortable in the new, yet familiar environment.

After just a few minutes, Ash'd had enough of the silence. "Man...this week is going to be incredibly boring."

Everyone chuckled at the exasperation in his voice. He wasn't wrong, they really didn't have much to do.

Brock however, shrugged his shoulders before responding. "I don't know, Ash. I think it'll only be as boring as we let it be. I mean, we have tons we can talk about, and a lot of interesting people here. I think we'll be just fine."

Delia smiled at the man. "You're right, Brock. Plus, there's something I'd like to talk to May about..."

Obviously, over the course of the last week when Ash was still unconscious, Brock, May and Delia all had quite a lot of time to talk to each other. And while what Delia wanted to bring up was something they had talked about before, she thought it'd be nice to learn more about it.

Delia turned to face May, who was looking at her in confusion, wondering what the mother was talking about. "I know you told us about your journey and what you plan on doing, but I'm interested in knowing the details. Like, do you know exactly where you want to go, or what you want to see?"

May smiled at the mother. But before she could respond, Ash spoke animatedly.

"Isn't what's she's doing awesome!?" Ash questioned excitedly. It appeared that May had told Brock and his mother about her journey, and Ash wanted to know what they thought about it. "It's a pretty cool reason to go on a journey, isn't it?"

May couldn't help but smile at Ash's childlike excitement. Also, the fact that he supported her dream, which was something she always feared would never be supported, made her feel fantastic. Instead of responding to the mother, May was currently starting at Ash in appreciation.

"Yeah, it's very cool." Brock agreed before turning to May. "Despite what many people think, there tons of different reasons for starting a pokemon journey. And doing so to travel is a great reason."

May nodded at Brock and smiled. She then turned her attention toward Delia. "To answer your question honestly, Delia...I haven't really planned very far ahead. I thought that I'd just kind of wander around the Hoenn region and try to see everything I can."

Delia began laughing at May's words, which the brunette had not been expecting. She was wondering what the young mother was laughing at. Did she sound stupid?

Seeing her questioning gaze, Delia spoke. "It just amazes me how alike you and Ash are."

The woman's words only seemed to confuse May further. Ash on the other hand, understood where his mother was going with this. Before he began to speak, he put his hand behind his head and rubbed it, smiling sheepishly.

"I know what she's talking about..." Ash started gaining May's attention. "You could say that I'm not exactly the 'planning' type either. When I left for my first journey, I had no idea what I was doing, or where I was going. If it wasn't a straight shot from Pallet Town to Viridian City, I never would've made it even just that far. It sounds like you and me found another thing we have in common."

Once Ash explained, May understood what the young mother was saying. She really hadn't planned for her trip as much as she probably should have. But that was just how she was. She was much more inclined to simply go with the flow, especially on the type of journey she was on. She was glad to hear that Ash was the same way.

"Hehe...yeah, I can't really say I did too much planning at all before I left on my journey. Honestly, I was just so excited to get going that I didn't really think about the details. Though, I should probably do that at some point." May reasoned. While Ash had a basic idea of where he would have to go as he was taking on gyms, she had no idea. She could quite literally go anywhere at anytime.

But if she got her way, she wouldn't have to worry about that. She would just go from town to town as Ash beat each gym, all the while seeing all she could. It would accomplish the same thing for her, she realized, as there was a gym in almost every major city she wanted to see. The only problems were the more off path things she wanted to witness, and she was still worried about slowing Ash down...

Delia giggled at the girls explanation. "Between the lack of planning and the endless appetite, it's almost as if you're the same person, just different genders."

May smiled as she remembered being told of Ash's insatiable hunger, much like her own. She was very glad to hear that there was actually another person out there who might be able to keep up with her eating habits; she'd never met one before.

Ash on the other hand, was confused by her mother's words.

" _May has an appetite like mine?"_ Ash thought to himself before looking at the girl. While she was by no means a stick figure, it was clear to see that May was very in shape. Ash was only able to eat so much because of how much he trained. _"Yeah...I doubt it."_

Ash crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed, a smirk present on his face. "You eat like I do, May? Yeah...I'll believe that when I see it."

May, whom was a bit competitive, smirked at the friendly challenge that Ash had put down. This was a perfect time for this as well. They still had yet to have breakfast and May was _very_ hungry.

"Okay, Ketchum. It's about time for breakfast anyway, so now is the perfect to prove to you that I _can_ eat just as much as you can, as quickly as you can. Plus, I'd like to see your 'infamous' appetite in action myself." May spoke, the challenging smirk still present on her face.

Upon hearing May's words, Ash became excited for the friendly competition. But he also truly did want to see if May really could keep up with him in terms of eating.

Brock, who was simply listening in to the back and forth between his two younger friends, stood from his chair, deciding he could help.

"I'll go down to the cafeteria and buy some food for us. I really want to see the look on Ash's face when he realizes that May can eat just as much as him." Brock said, having seen May eat before. Now with everyone backing the statement, Ash was no longer doubting May's eating ability, he just wanted to challenge her and have some fun, which May recognized.

To Brock's surprise, Delia stood from her chair as well. "I think I better come with you. You're going to have some trouble carrying all the food that these two are going to need."

Brock chuckled at the woman's words, despite knowing that she was correct. Normally, while Ash and May would always eat a lot, they wouldn't eat a ludicrous amount of food as to be polite. But they could tell that this time, the two were planning on going all out.

The two barely noticed the two older members of their group leave as they were locked into a intense stare. Both knew they were just messing around with the intensity of which they were handling this situation, but it was very fun to do so. And plus after what Ash had said about being bored, this was exactly what they needed.

Surprisingly, it didn't take very long for Brock and Delia to return with the food. And while hospital food wasn't exactly known to be the best, both May and Ash's mouths were salivating at the sight of it. Ash had only just realized that because of the coma, he hadn't actually eating anything in over a week. And boy did he plan on making up for the lost time.

Brock and Delia gave the two pancakes, waffles, sausages, eggs. Pretty much every breakfast food you could think of. It was a ton of food, and both May and Ash seemed to have an equal amount. Ash swung his legs over the edge of the bed as it was the best position for him to eat without getting anything on the bed. Plus, he was able to use a small table that reached up to the bed's level, something that hadn't been present in the ICU room.

Before either started eating, Ash shot May one more look. "Okay, May...Prove me wrong."

While May normally would've laughed at Ash tone and words, this time all she did was smirk competitively. She knew that she was a good eater, and she was actually quite eager to see someone else who ate like her do his thing.

With that said, the two began wolfing down their food at an alarming rate. No matter how many times they saw it, Brock and Delia would never be used to it. It was bad enough with Ash but now, there were two of them.

By the time five minutes had passed, both Ash and May were just about finished with all of the food. They'd slowed down just slightly as they filled up with cuisines of all kinds. It didn't take long before the two finished at what ended up being the exact same time.

Both May and Ash were panting slightly; their method of eating didn't leave much room for breathing. They let each other regain their breath before saying anything.

It was Ash who spoke first, an impressed look on his face. "Okay, May. You definitely proved me wrong. Color me impressed."

May giggled at Ash words before responding. "I'm glad to see you can admit when you're wrong. But I'm quite impressed as well. I've never met anyone who can eat like I do. My parents always joked and said that I was some sort of a freak of nature when it comes to eating."

Ash laughed at May's comment. "Yeah, I can relate with you there. My mom definitely tells me how the way I eat makes me anything but normal. They just don't understand our love of food! But it's good to know that there's someone else out there like me!"

May nodded her head in agreement before the two shared a smile. They then high-fived, both being proud members of the newly formed, unofficial 'gluttony club'

They then let their gazes go to their pokemon to see if they'd been fed. To their delight, the two saw them munching away happily on their pokemon food. Pikachu even had a few packets of ketchup, one of which he let Torchic try, who also very much liked it. It was very comical to see Torchic trying to get more Ketchup from Pikachu with the mouse pokemon refusing vehemently to give her anymore. It was easy to tell that he regretted allowing her a taste in the first place.

Their eyes then drifted over to Brock and Delia. The two were sitting in their chairs eating, but were very obviously still amazed by what they'd just seen. Both May and Ash chuckled at their expressions.

"Geez guys, it's like you've never seen me eat before." Ash spoke teasingly, snapping both Brock and his mother out of their gazes.

"Ash, I can promise you right now that I will never be able to get used to the way you eat. And now that we know May eats like you...let's just say you better get used to the expression I was just making." Brock told the two, causing them to laugh.

The four shared in small talk as Brock and Delia finished eating their breakfast. Once they were done, Brock offered to take any trash they had and throw it away, to which everyone happily complied.

At around noon, the doctor came in again to have Ash perform some physical therapy. Once again, the doctor was very impressed with how well Ash was recovering. He was walking even better today than he had the day before.

Before the doctor left, he even gave Ash free reign to use the showers whenever he wanted. Though, he still advised him having someone go with him for the rest of the week, just to be extra cautious.

Once the doctor left, the four went back to just sitting around and chatting as that was really all their was to do. At one point, the topic of Petalburgh City came up as they would be staying there for a while after leaving the hospital.

"It's a really nice place with a lot to do. There's a mall, ice cream shops, most everything you can think of, really. And the pokemon center there is really nice. I've only been there a few times with my dad, but he told me once that it's one of the biggest in the region." May spoke jovially about her hometown.

Despite her many negative experiences as a kid, she still remembered her childhood with fondness. Her parents always made life fun for her. And she always loved simply walking around town with her mom and dad, which had led to her love for the city she grew up in.

"We'll have a lot of fun in Petalburgh. I'm really excited to show you around!" May exclaimed happily toward Brock and Ash, who returned her smile and nodded their heads.

"I'm really excited to see it too. I mean, I barely even got to see Littleroot before everything happened, so I'm pumped to see what Hoenn has to offer. And with your endorsement, I'm super excited to see Petalburgh!" Ash told May happily. Just the thought of finally getting to see a part of Hoenn made him giddy with excitement; it was another thing he always loved about following his dream, especially since with new places came new pokemon.

"Unlike you two, I like to be prepared for when I start a journey, so I've done a lot of reading on the Hoenn region. It seems that Petalburgh is one of its more famous cities. May's definitely right about the fact that there's a lot to do. But the biggest attraction is the gym itself." Brock explained.

Just hearing the word 'gym' made Ash even more excited than he was previously. "Oh yeah! That's something I can't wait to see. And since your dad's the gym leader, maybe we can get the grand tour!"

May couldn't help but giggle at Ash enthusiasm. Though, it was really refreshing to see someone who was so impassioned about something, and seeing how excited he was about exploring the town that she loved made her extremely happy.

"Actually, Ash, the gym doubles as my house. When my mom was pregnant with me, my dad built a big addition to the gym and made it a living space for the family. So you'll definitely get a tour of the gym, and the house too!" May told the man, who's smile became even brighter upon hearing this revelation.

"Wow! That's awesome, May! It must be so cool living in a gym!" Ash exclaimed, forgetting about one small thing.

"Ash don't you remember what I told you before? When I was growing up, I didn't really like pokemon. In fact, I was afraid of them for a long time. So I never really took full advantage of living in a gym." May explained to the man, who grinned sheepishly in response.

"Hehe...yeah, I remember now. Sorry about that." Ash apologized, causing May to simply shake her head and laugh.

Barely a few moments had passed before the enthusiasm Ash was showing from before returned. "But maybe I'll get a chance to battle your dad while we're there. Oh man, that would be awesome!"

May was going to respond to the raven haired trainer, but Brock beat her to it. "Sorry, Ash. But from what I've read, you can't face the Petalburgh Gym until you have at least 5 Hoenn gym badges."

Brock looked to May, seemingly looking for confirmation. Seeing this, May nodded. "He's right. I remember him saying that to trainers that would try to come challenge him right after getting their first pokemon from Professor Birch, which would happen quite a lot as it's often the first city a trainer comes to after leaving Littleroot.."

Rather than being disappointed as they'd thought he would be, Ash simply continued smiling. Seeing the confusion on the faces of his friends, he decided to explain.

"Believe it or not, I actually knew that." Ash explained. "One of the few things I actually do to prepare for a journey is look to see the order in which the gyms must be challenged in. Beating gyms is the most important part of being a Pokemon Trainer after all. What I meant was I want to take on your dad in an exhibition match of sorts. No badges, nothing on the line, just a friendly battle. I just know it'll be so cool to battle him, and I don't know if I can wait until I have 5 badges to do so!"

Brock, May and Delia were actually surprised when they heard the revelation. From what May had just recently heard, and Brock and Delia knew about Ash, he was not one to prepare whatsoever. So to hear him at the very least have his most important plan figured out was quite reassuring, especially to his mother.

May smiled at the man once he finished speaking. "Well, you can definitely ask. I'm not sure what his policy is on exhibition matches, but I'm pretty sure he'll battle you. You did save his daughter's life after all."

Ash rubbed the back of his head and blushed in embarrassment. "I did what anyone would've done in that situation..."

May, who normally would've responded by telling Ash that most people most definitely wouldn't have done what he did, decided to bite her tongue. He knew how thankful she was to him and how highly she thought of him, and she didn't want to make her thanks feel cheap by doing it all the time. Though, she still planned on thanking in and speaking highly of him at almost every chance she got.

"Well either way, I'm sure we'll have a good time in Petalburgh, especially since we have a local to show us the sights." Brock said, breaking the moment of silence that they'd fallen into. His words earned a nod from both May and Ash.

May nodded happily. She was getting excited for their stay in Petalburgh, even despite the fact that she'd just left there barely over a week ago. "I promise, I'm going to make sure we have an awesome time."

"Well, as long as Brock and I have you May, I'm sure that'll be easy to do." Ash spoke kindly, causing May to smile and redden just slightly.

As had been established, May never really had any friends throughout her younger years. She'd never had people that she was able to get excited to hang out with. But now, she had two. For one, she had Brock. He was a kind man whom already seemed like the older brother she never had. He also seemed to really have his head on straight and was extremely trustworthy.

And then there was Ash.

For what felt like the millionth time, May marveled at the person Ash was. Every once in a while May's mind would run and she'd think about what he'd done for her, and the other stories she'd been told about the man. He was an incredible person, and May felt extremely blessed to already be able to call him her best friend. Her _first_ real best friend. She'd never been happier than she was in this moment.

"So what are you going to do when we leave the hospital, Delia?" May questioned the young mother after forcing herself out of her thoughts.

Delia smiled and seemed to think about the question for a few seconds. "I'm just going to head back home to Pallet Town. I have quite a lot of gardening to catch up on!"

Ash couldn't help but laugh at his mother. "You sure do love that garden, don't you Mom?"

"It's just something I enjoy doing that fills up my days. There isn't all that much for me to do when you're out on your journeys, Ash." Delia told the boy without a hint of sadness in her voice. Despite what she was actually feeling, her words made Ash become regretful and somber.

After his father had left, it was just himself and his mother. To Ash, that's how it'd almost always been. The two were as close as a mother and son could be. And Ash would be lying if he said he didn't feel bad about leaving to go on journeys, leaving his mother alone.

Just that one word always managed to sting his heart more than anything else.

Alone.

Ash once again cursed his father for ever leaving. And now, Ash couldn't help but momentarily allow himself to think that he may be doing something similar. But he knew that wasn't true. He wasn't abandoning his mother like his father did. He was simply chasing the one and only dream he'd ever had.

And the fact that his mother allowed him to leave for such extended periods of time, causing herself to be alone, just proved how much she loved him. Her happiness was his happiness, and Ash was incredibly glad that he had a mother like the one he did.

Everyone noticed Ash fall somber. Delia immediately felt bad for causing this reaction. She really hadn't meant anything by it; she wasn't trying to make Ash feel guilty for leaving.

But before she could even think of anything to say to reassure her son, a sweet, toothless smile spread across Ash's face. Brock and May were a bit confused by the varied emotions the man was showing, but Delia seemed to understand perfectly. It must be a mother, son thing, they supposed.

"I've never really thanked you for all you've done for me, Mom; I started thinking about that when I was talking to May yesterday. After dad left, you stepped up and played the role of both mother and father to perfection. You raised me to be a man I'm happy to see in the mirror every morning. You let me travel the world to accomplish my biggest dream, and you support me every step of the way. You've devoted your entire life to my happiness, and I can't thank you enough for that, Mom." Ash finished, a tear coming to his eye. His thoughts, combined with his most recent near death experience, really made him think about all that his mother had done for him.

She'd sacrificed so much for him, and Ash wanted her to know just how much he appreciated it.

Delia smiled at Ash's words as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh, Ashy. That's my job. To make sure you get to live the kind of life you want to live. You're my baby boy, and you always will be, and I'll go to the ends of the earth to make sure your happy."

As she finished, Delia stood up and hugged her son, making it so Ash wouldn't have to stand. May and Brock smiled at the sentimental moment. It was nice to see such a close family bond, especially since, as Brock knew, they were the only family either of them had.

May couldn't help but think of her own parents while the two in front of her shared a moment. They'd always done their absolute best for her, and she couldn't remember a time when she'd ever thanked them for it. When she saw them next, she'd be sure to do so.

It was at this time that the two broke apart and the young mother reclaimed her seat. As she sat down, Delia realized that Ash had mentioned his father leaving in front of May. There was a chance that this could've simply been a slip up, but Delia was pretty sure that there was another reason Ash had done so.

Delia turned to face May before speaking. "So Ash told you about his father?"

May was a bit surprised by the question, as the mention of Ash's father had simply been in passing; she'd barely even noticed it. Seeing that she was too caught off guard to answer immediately, Ash responded for her.

"Yeah, I told her last night. It kind of came up in conversation, and I just felt like I could tell her." Ash explained to his mother, whom accepted what she was being told. She then looked back toward May.

"Wow, that says a lot, doesn't it?" Delia started cryptically, earning a confusing glance from the brunette in front of her. Seeing this, she elaborated. "It says a lot about what my Ash thinks of you. As far as I know, the only other person he's ever told that story to is Brock. If he told you, then he must really trust you and consider you to be an extremely close friend."

Even though May knew that what she was told the night before was a very private matter that Ash hadn't shared with hardly anyone, hearing this said again made her feel incredibly special. And hearing how highly Ash thought of her said aloud made that feeling grow tenfold.

"Ash told me the story, but it wasn't until after about 8 months of knowing each other. And he still hasn't told Misty. So the fact that he told you is pretty crazy all things considered." Brock added, cementing just how far from normal this was.

May held a stupid, toothless smile on her face as heat radiated throughout her body. She looked toward Ash, whom she noticed was doing his signature move of smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, his cheeks tinted slightly red.

"Hehe...what can I say. I just know I can trust you." Ash managed to get out, "Plus, we already both agree that we're best friends, so it only makes sense that I would tell you."

"How could we not be best friends with how much we have in common?" May exclaimed, giddy about all of the positive energy flowing throughout the room. When she began to speak again, her face still held a smile, but her tone turned serious and sincere. "But I still want to thank you for trusting me with your story. I feel so amazing knowing that you already feel comfortable enough with me to trust me with such a personal secret. I appreciate that more than I can even articulate to you. And I promise, I will never, _ever_ betray your trust, Ash."

As May finished speaking, herself and Ash shared a smile.

While this was going on, Brock and Delia shot each other a knowing look and smirk. With how close the two were already, they were becoming very hopeful for the future. The two were very much coming around to the idea of May and Ash progressing their relationship into something more than friendship. But even though they'd connected so deeply, it had still only been a little over a week. Any reality of a relationship would be very far off, especially because of how Ash's slight denseness.

The rest of the day part by relatively slowly. While everyone was happy sharing stories and talking to each other about whatever popped into their minds, there would still be moments of silence and boredom.

The group more than welcomed Professor Birch when he arrived with the dark pokemon at around 6 pm. That man and the pokemon stayed for a couple of hours, simply joining in on the conversation and seeing how everything was doing.

Mightyena stayed close to Professor Birch mostly the whole time, but the three Poochyena began to play with Pikachu and Torchic. Everyone was incredibly happy to see that Torchic had more than gotten over her fear of the pokemon, and was now happily playing with them.

Before the professor left, May thought she would ask something of the man that would surely help with their boredom problem.

"Hey, Professor Birch?" The professor was taking his leave when May spoke, causing him to have to turn around to face her. "Do you think that you could bring us a deck of cards when you visit tomorrow? Maybe some bored games too? Talking with each other is nice and all, but I think we would really appreciate playing a few games."

The professor smiled happily at the request. "Of course! I know I have a few decks of cards laying around. And I'll check my house for bored games as well. I'm sure I have a few in my basement. I'll bring whatever I can find tomorrow!"

"Thanks, Professor. We really appreciate it." May spoke sincerely.

The professor then turned to leave but before he could do so, Ash spoke.

"You guys can go with him if you want, I reallydon't mind." Ash said. Although he seemed to be addressing the others in the room, Birch still thought he should stick around to hear what was being said.

"You guys don't have to sit around here just for my sake. I mean, I know how boring it can get, and I want you guys to be able to enjoy yourselves! I really have no problem with you guys going to stay with Professor Birch and just visiting me every once in a while." Ash spoke earnestly.

He'd discovered first hand just how boring sitting around a hospital room could be and he didn't want to subject his friends and mother to that when he didn't have to, especially when they still had another five days to sit around and do nothing.

The three in the room didn't even consider leaving as an option. None of them had any plans of leaving this hospital until Ash could leave with them.

"Ash, I know I speak for everyone when I say that we're not going to do that." Brock told the raven haired man in front of him.

"Even though you're feeling a lot better, we'd be worried sick if we weren't with you the whole time you recovered." Delia added.

"Ash." May started, earning Ash's attention. "You saved my life. I know you're too modest to accept that as fact, but it's true. You're the reason I'm still breathing. The least I can do is be here with you while you recover. And besides, I'm truly having a good time! Sure, things slow down every once in a while, but that doesn't mean this isn't fun! Just talking with you, getting to know you better, has been some of the best times of my life. So there is no way I'm leaving this hospital until you can as well."

Ash smiled at the brunette in appreciation for her amazingly kind words, earning a smile in return. He then looked to his mother and friend who were sending him reassuring smiles of their own.

Ash shook his head and let out a chortle. "Good to know I surround myself with people just as stubborn as I am...Thank you guys. Really."

Ash's words earned head nods from those in the room.

"Okay, well then I'm going to head out. I'll be back tomorrow, and I'll be sure to bring the cards and the games." Professor Birch stated before finally taking his leave, the Mightyena and Poochyena following close behind him.

"That was a great idea, May. Playing some games will surely help time go by a little quicker." Brock commended May for her idea.

"I thought it was a good idea. I think we could all use a bit of fun after everything that's happened. It may not be much, but it's something." May responded. "I just hope you're all ready to lose!

The sense of competition hyped Ash up as he stared at May with determination. "We'll see about that, Maple."

The two shared a mock intense glare before they all burst out laughing. While many may not think it possible, people were able to have fun in a hospital room. These four were proof of just that.

The rest of the day actually managed to go by relatively quickly as the four become very engaged in conversation. Before they'd even realized it, the sun had gone down. And looking at the clock, they realized it was already 11:00 pm.

As if on cue, Brock let out a yawn which caused a chain reaction, making the others yawn as well.

"I think we should be heading to sleep." Brock rationalized, to which everyone agreed. "May, you should take the cot tonight. You deserve a night off of the chair."

For some odd reason, the idea of sleeping on the cot and anywhere other than the chair right next to Ash wasn't appealing to her. She'd much rather remain in the position she'd been in for the past week. She wasn't exactly sure why though...

"No, Brock. You and Delia take them again tonight. I'm actually really comfortable the way that I've been sleeping, so I'm more than happy here." May told the man, who was skeptical of her words.

"Come on, May. I know you're just trying to be nice. Really, you can have the cot. I have no problem sleeping on a chair." Brock really didn't want to allow May to miss out on sleeping in the cot for two nights in a row. But what he didn't know was that May simply didn't want to change the way she was sleeping as she was already immensely comfortable in a strange way.

"Brock, I swear I'm comfortable in the chair." May spoke truthfully. Though, she could tell by Brock's expression that he wasn't budging. May sighed as she thought up an agreement. "Okay, how about you and Delia take the cots again tonight, and then I'll sleep on the cot tomorrow? Does that sound fair?"

Brock was actually a bit surprised as it truly did seem that May really didn't want to sleep on the cot. She must've been telling the truth and not just been trying to be nice, Brock realized. This discovery is what allowed the man to relent.

"Alright, May. But only if you sleep on the cot tomorrow night!" Brock said sternly, still having a hard time fully accepting that she'd rather sleep in a chair.

May simply laughed in response and nodded her head in agreement. May then noticed Ash standing from his bed.

"I can brush my own teeth again!" Ash exclaimed, more excited than anyone should be for dental hygiene. Seeing everyone laughing at him, he joked. "It's the small victories."

Ash's words caused the room to laugh even harder as he disappeared into the bathroom. After he exited and returned to bed, the other three people in the room took their turns to brush their teeth and prepare for sleep in their own ways. It wasn't 10 minutes later everyone was in bed, ready to go to sleep.

Ash was more tired than he'd originally thought he was and began falling asleep almost immediately after he put himself in a sleeping position. Though before he fell asleep completely, he felt May's hand worm its way into his own, which he happily accepted.

After the other day when Ash had proven than that he really didn't mind the contact, May was more comfortable in grabbing Ash's hand while he was still awake; both parties knew it was simply a sense of comfort. It'd simply become routine, and she had a feeling she would have a hard time getting to sleep while in the hospital without it.

…

…

May felt herself awakening from a dreamless sleep. She gave herself a few moments to try to let the tiredness leave her eyes before she opened them. She looked to the clock and saw that it was around 3:00 am.

Before she could even wonder why she'd woken up in the middle of the night, she felt an overwhelming need to use the bathroom. She reluctantly let go of Ash's hand and made her way toward the restroom.

As she finished up and washed her hands, she left the bathroom with every intention to return back to her spot in the chair, hoping that sleep would return to her easily. However when she noticed someone walking toward her, toward the door, she felt compelled to find out who it was.

"Hello...?" May whispered, not wanting to wake whoever else was still asleep.

"Oh, hello, dear." May could tell by the sweet, motherly voice that the person she was talking to was Delia. And as she stood in the dark longer, her ability to see became better and better. "What're you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." May teased the older woman.

Delia chuckled quietly at the young girl in front of her. "I woke up a while ago and was having a bit of trouble falling back asleep, so I thought I'd wander around a bit. Care to join me?"

Now that she'd been awake for a few minutes, she was not feeling very tired anymore. And a walk sounded pretty good to her for some reason.

May smiled and nodded at the woman, whom she could now see fairly clearly in the darkness. "Sure. I'd love to join you."

Rather than responding verbally, Delia simply nodded and walked out the door, being followed closely behind by May. As soon as they were outside, the two began walking side by side. The hospital was no where near the largest the pokemon world had to offer, but there were more than enough random halls for them to wander through.

The halls were still lit, but the light was noticeably dimmer than during the daytime hours. There were still a few doctors around but again, not nearly as many as there had been earlier in the day.

The two didn't want to walk in silence, so Delia started a conversation.

"So, May. How are you doing? How're you _actually_ doing?" Delia questioned vaguely. While it may have seemed like a stupid question, the young mother wanted to know what was going on is May's mind; things that were deeper than just what could be seen on the surface.

May smiled at the woman's words, an answer coming to her mind immediately. "I'm happy. I'm really, really happy. Now that we know Ash is going to be okay, all I've been feeling is complete joy. And getting to know you guys over the past week, getting to know Ash, it's been some of the best times of my life."

"You and Ash really have connected. I've never seen anything like it." Delia told the girl, shifting the conversation in a specific direction.

"Yeah, we have. I don't know what it is, but something just drew us to each other. I didn't have many of friends growing up, so being able to say that I have a best friend in a person like Ash is an incredible feeling." May spoke truthfully. "You raised Ash to be a really great man, Delia."

Delia smiled at the younger woman's praise. "Thank you, dear. Because it was only myself and him for most of his life, I was never sure how things would turn out in the end. But Ash was very strong throughout everything which in turn, made me strong. I'm just so happy that he grew up to be the protector he was always meant to be."

"Protector, huh?" May pondered. "Yeah...that definitely sounds like an accurate description to me. I've just never met anyone so selfless, so willing to sacrifice everything for the safety and happiness of others."

"His dad leaving really shaped that about him. All the pain and anger that Ash felt when his father left, it really shaped his ideology...What hurts him the most is knowing that there are people out there who feel the same way he did. That's why he does what he does; because the one thing he wants to do more than anything is to make sure everyone and anyone is safe and happy. To make sure they know that they're not alone. That no one ever has to go through what he did." Delia finished, explaining Ash's history a bit more.

May nodded her head and continued smiling at the woman's words. "Ash told me something similar the other night. That he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he ever left somebody feeling like he did. And even though what happened with his father was horrible, it obviously helped make Ash the person he is today. And he's pretty incredible if you ask me."

As May finished speaking, Delia allowed a smirk to appear on her face. She'd been directing this conversation the whole time and now, she could get to what she actually wanted to talk about.

"You really like him, don't you?" Delia questioned, almost rhetorically.

May was taken aback by the question, but managed to recompose herself after just a few moments, though a blush was still very apparent on her face. She thought about denying it, maybe trying to steer the direction elsewhere, but that thought didn't even last a half a second; she knew there would be no point in that. Delia already had a good idea of what she was feeling, and May knew that, so there would be no point in denying it. Plus, she'd accepted the young mother knowing of her crush days ago.

May let out a defeated before chuckling for just a moment. "Yeah... I do. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Delia simply smiled at the young brunette. "I had a pretty good idea after the whole incident with the nurse..."

"So I really was that obvious, huh...?" May asked pathetically. She'd known full well that in that specific moment, she'd ,must've had her feelings written all over her face.

Delia giggled at the tone of the girl's words. "Well, it was really only a few slip ups here and there. Most of the time it wasn't too easy to tell. But feelings aside, it was clear to see that you admire him."

May scoffed. "How could I not? He saved my life. An hour after meeting me, he literally _died_ so that I could live. I don't know anyone who would do that for somebody they'd just met, no matter how much they'd connected. But it's not just that..."

"I've never been as worried, as scared, as I was when he was comatose. And when we were told that he was going to die...I just shut down. I'd just met this guy, but he'd already had such a huge effect on me." May spoke, solemnly remembering the hard times they'd endured.

May paused for a moment, a toothless smile overtaking her features. "But he pulled through in the end. Even after just one long conversation with him, I knew that he was special, that he was someone that I would get along with better than anybody else. That we were going to be great friends, no matter what. And after hearing about all the things he's done, seeing the type of person he is, and talking to him more, it'd be impossible for me not to have a crush on him..."

"Oh, that's so wonderful, dear! Young love is such a darling thing..." Delia trailed off, thoughts of her youth running wild in her head. She didn't even notice May blush bright red.

" _Love...? I-I don't think so...? Definitely going to need more time before that even has a chance to comes up. I've just barely accepted the fact that I have my first crush..."_ May thought to herself. And while what she was feeling at the moment certainly wasn't love, it was also beginning to feel a bit deeper than just a crush...

"But I feel I should warn you..." Delia said after breaking out of her nostalgic thoughts, gaining May's attention. "Ash has almost no knowledge on anything related to romance. In short, he's pretty dense. His whole life has been focused on pokemon, so he's never really pursued any kind of relationship, even despite having opportunities to do so."

"Yeah, Brock told me about that. But I actually have no experience either. I've never dated anyone, so I don't really know what to do either..." May revealed to the mother, who hid the shock she felt at the revelation. Like Brock and Ash, she'd been surprised that such a beautiful girl had never had a boyfriend. "Like Ash, I suppose I did have opportunities, but none of the guys I knew ever felt right. Plus, most of them were complete jerks."

Delia nodded. "Ash said the same thing about the girls in Pallet Town. Sounds like you two have a pretty similar background in terms of relationships, romantic and other."

"We do have a shocking amount of things in common." May said, more to herself than to Delia. "Heck, he's even turning me on to pokemon. His bond with Pikachu is just so cool. I really hope to have that one day with Torchic, and that's really saying something. Before I started my journey, I was almost dreading having to care for a pokemon of my own but now, I care for Torchic a lot and want to be the best friend I can be to her."

"That's really nice to hear, May. Ash has always had a way with people, even if he doesn't realize it. His personality, who he is, it all allows for people to see life in a new perspective. He's always been one to bring out the best in people." Delia spoke proudly of her son.

May smiled sweetly at Delia's words, agreeing with all of what she was saying When she thought about it, Ash really had helped change her perspective on pokemon if nothing else. And she felt that he truly did bring out the best in people. Plus, his personality was so bubbly and exciting that it was very obvious to see why it drew people to him. He was simply a person most everyone would want to be associated with in one way or another. She couldn't believe that the people in Pallet Town never saw this.

"He's done so much for me in almost no time at all. Just being around him makes me feel so comfortable and safe. I'm just so incredibly happy I get to be his friend, and that this whole situation turned out to be a positive." May said to the mother, whom nodded her head in agreement.

"So..." Delia started, redirecting the conversation once again. "You ever going to tell him about this 'crush' of yours?"

May flushed pink once again, but not enough for it to be noticed by the young mother. She thought about the question, as she truly hadn't even really considered it as of yet. Though when she thought about it, she found she did have a reason.

"I just don't want to rush anything. Even though we're already close enough to call each other best friends, we still only just met a little over a week ago. Plus, I've never really had a crush before, so I don't really know how this whole thing works." May admitted with a chuckle, causing Delia to laugh as well. "For now, I just want to be the best friend I can be to him, and allow him to be the same to me. I've enjoyed every second of being around him, and I don't want that to end anytime soon. So for now, I'm just going to let everything progress naturally, as it should."

Delia nodded at the young brunette. "I think that's a good plan. No need to rush into anything. And that's especially true with Ash. So...are you going to ask to travel with him?"

Again, May was sightly surprised by the question. But as she thought about it, this did seem like a good follow up question. If she didn't want to travel with Ash, then they would more than likely only see each other a few more times before Ash left Hoenn.

"Yes, I am." May revealed to the young mother. "While I do plan to ask him, I am a bit worried..."

Delia cocked her head in confusion. "Worried about what, dear?"

May let out a sigh before responding. "Well, it's just... my dream is to travel the world. To really take in and enjoy everything that I see. And Ash's goal, for the time being at least, is to win the Hoenn league, meaning he'll more than likely be in a hurry to beat all of the gyms. I'm just afraid that I would do nothing but slow him down, and because of that he would resent me..."

Delia instantly understood May's concerns once they were explained to her. But she also knew that the young girl's fears were unfounded. May knew Ash well, even after just a short amount of time. She knew that he wouldn't react like she was thinking, her fear was simply clouding her mind.

"May, you know Ash would never resent you. He really cares for you and values your friendship a lot." Delia said, hoping to alleviate May's concerns.

"I know that, I'm just still a bit scared, I guess." May told the mother. Her fear of being rejected flat out, even though in her heart she knew Ash wouldn't do that to her, was scaring her greatly.

"May, I have a very, _very_ good feeling that Ash would love nothing more than to travel with you." Delia revealed to the young girl.

"Then why hasn't he asked me yet?" May questioned back, almost pleading for an answer; this whole thing would be so much easier if Ash simply asked her instead of the other way around..

"Did you ever consider that maybe he has his own fears and concerns as well? Knowing my Ash, I'm sure he's afraid that _he's_ the one who'd be slowing you down. He doesn't want you to miss anything because of his need to defeat all of the gyms. I can almost guarantee that's the reason." Delia explained. She knew her son well and she was almost certain that this was what was running through Ash's mind on the subject.

May thought over what the young mother had said. She hadn't really even thought about the idea that Ash was feeling similar concerns to her. May couldn't believe that he thought he'd be slowing her down. Then again, maybe she was being ridiculous as well...

Seeing May not responding, Delia continued. "If you want my advice, I think you should ask him. I'm _very_ confident he wants you to join him and Brock on their journey. Ash really does care about you, and I'm sure he won't want to say goodbye after such a short amount of time."

May continued thinking over what to do. She remembered when she'd first become adamant about asking Ash to travel with him, only to have her fears cloud her mind. But now with Delia's words of reassurance, she was going to ask him. She had to. She knew she wouldn't be happy any other way.

May smiled at the young mother and nodded her head. "I'll ask him before he and Brock leave from my house to start on their journey. Thank you, Delia."

"It's my pleasure, May. After all, this will make both you and my son very happy. I'm sure of it." Delia responded happily. "Plus, how can you let your relationship develop into something deeper if you aren't around each other?"

"That's very true." May agreed with the young mother, blushing just slightly as she thought of the possibilities the future might hold. "I really don't want to part ways with him. I've never had a friend like him, and I don't ever want to lose that. I just really love being around him."

Delia smiled at the girl's words. "That's very sweet, dear. And I know that my Ash feels the same way."

May matched the older woman's smile, happiness filling her as she processed the young mother's words. She was very much telling the truth by saying that she'd never had a friend like Ash.

A best friend.

The two wandered around for a few more minutes before they ended up near the entrance to their room. Delia stopped, causing May to do the same.

"I think we should try to get back to sleep now. I'm starting to feel tired again." Delia told May, whom nodded her head in acceptance.

"Yeah, I'm getting sleepy too." As if on cue, May let out a long yawn once she finished speaking.

"Thanks for taking a walk with me, May. It was really nice talking with you." Delia thanked the young woman.

May smiled happily at Delia. "Of course! It truly was my pleasure. I very much enjoyed talking with you as well, and it was nice to get some stuff off of my chest."

The two shared one more smile before they entered the room and designated themselves to where they would sleep for the remainder of the night.

May looked at the clock, seeing that only 25 minutes had passed since they'd left for their walk. She then carefully grabbed Ash's hand as to not wake him up and put her head down on the bed. A content smile appeared on her face, and remained even after sleep had claimed her once again.

* * *

 **A/N: And there's chapter 8! I hope you are still enjoying the story. May and Delia had a nice, long talk about some things that really opened up some eyes. And thank everyone for the support on the last chapter. Most of the reviews came from guests, but that's oaky as long as they're coming. Sorry if it sounds like I'm begging, it's just reviews are the one thing that keeps a writer going. Next chapter out tomorrow! See ya!**


	9. Chosen

How to Change a Life

The sun was shining brightly through the windows as Ash's eyes began to flutter open. The light was becoming quite offensive and he was finding it impossible to remain asleep. Deciding he should just get up, he slowly shifted around, stretching in the process and fully opened his eyes. The first thing he did was sit up and look at the clock, seeing that it was only 8:00am.

His eyes then drifted to the sleeping pokemon at the foot of his bed. Seeing Pikachu and Torchic sleeping close together was a cute sight to see for the freshly awoken trainer.

Ash let out a yawn and stretched one more time before his gaze shifted to his right. It was then he noticed the warmth emanating from his right hand. Looking down at it, he remembered why it was so warm. May's hand had remained interlocked with his own throughout the entirety night. Ash followed her arm up until he was looking at the girl.

May was still sleeping peacefully, her head down on the bed fairly close to where their hands were placed. Looking at her position, Ash still couldn't quite understand how she was comfortable. But given the content look on her face, he could tell that she was.

As he looked to May's face, he saw her breathing lightly, her mouth slightly open. Her hair was sprawled on the bed just slightly due to the fact that she currently wasn't wearing her bandana.

Ash smiled toothlessly at May's sleeping figure. She seemed so comfortable, so peaceful, and he felt that he could just sit there and watch her all morning.

Ash still couldn't believe the circumstances of their meeting. Saving her and Professor Birch from pokemon, that would later become their friends. May falling off of the cliff. _Himself_ falling off of the cliff. Hell, he'd even died and come back to life... It was all so crazy when he thought about it.

" _I guess I really shouldn't be surprised though..."_ Ash thought to himself. _"The only way I seem to meet people is through crazy circumstances."_

Ash chuckled at his thought as he thought about all of the people he'd befriended over the course of his journey. He especially remembered meeting Misty, and how she'd pulled him out of a river by mistake. He shivered when he remembered the look on the redhead's face when she found him after he'd taken her bike in order to get Pikachu help.

" _Though, she still managed to turn out to be one of my best friends. But that did take quite a while..."_ Ash remembered how the two didn't truly get along for quite some time after first meeting.

Ash and Misty's personalities would clash frequently early on in their adventure together. But after a month or two, they both warmed up to each other and considered the other to be a best friend. With that being said, he still wasn't quite sure why he hadn't told her the full story of his father. Though he decided not to dwell on it; he planned on telling her some point soon anyway.

It was then Ash's mind shifted elsewhere. While he only considered Misty a best friend, he'd picked up quite a few hints over their travels telling him that she thought of him as more. He'd vaguely talked to Brock about it, but never really got too deep into it due to embarrassment over the situation.

Before they split up, Misty had made it pretty clear that she wanted more than just friendship with him. The only problem was, Ash didn't want the same. He knew nothing of relationships but even despite that, he knew in his heart that Misty wasn't right for him.

Ash remembered when he first realized that Misty had feelings for him. The first thing he felt was fear. Fear of what it meant. Fear of the whole 'relationship' thing.

But most of all, fear of hurting Misty.

The last thing Ash ever wanted to do was hurt anyone, especially one of his closest friends. He remembered searching his heart almost every night, hoping that somehow, he would be able to force himself to develop deeper feelings for Misty so that he would never have to hurt her.

But of course, he couldn't do that. It wasn't what his heart desired, and he understood that wasn't something he'd ever be able to change. It took him a long while to accept this but once he did, he became slightly depressed. He he quickly became very good good at hiding it, but it was very much present inside of him for a number weeks.

Though in order to get out of the funk he was in, he decided that the only thing he could do as to not outright hurt Misty was to act as if he'd simply never picked up on the hints she'd thrown his way. If he never acknowledged her feelings, then he wouldn't have to outright deny her.

He'd never have to to break her heart.

Though, the thought of doing this always served to make Ash sick to his stomach. He hated himself for it. He thought himself to be a coward, running away from his problems. He still considered it one of the worst things he'd ever done and still hadn't truly forgiven himself for choosing this path. He was always one to take a challenge head on, but he did nothing but swerve this one.

It was such an awful situation: either hurt Misty outright, or ignore the problem and hurt her anyway, but in a less direct way. Of course, he couldn't quite see it at the time, but he decided after they'd separated that it would've been better if he'd have just told her that he didn't want to pursue a relationship with her.

He knew that one day, he would have to come clean and tell the truth. He just hoped it wouldn't ruin their friendship. That was always one of his biggest worries, behind Misty's happiness of course. That once everything was out in the open, Misty would feel too uncomfortable to be around him anymore.

He feared so badly that she would hate him for it...

Ash let out a long sigh as he forced the negative thought out of his head. As sad as it was, Misty was no longer traveling with him. This wasn't something he would have to face for a while. At least, he hoped...

Ash found his eyes wandering back to May's sleeping form. Just the sight of her helped to calm him as his negative thoughts were quickly replaced with positive ones of the new memories he was making with the brunette in front of him.

And whether he liked it or no, Ash still had the idea of romance in his head from thinking about his problem with Misty,. It wasn't something he thought about often, but it was in his mind at this moment. And because May was sitting here in front of him, Ash couldn't help but let his mind wander that direction with her...

Instantly however, he stopped himself. Ash didn't even know what he was thinking. They'd connected incredibly quickly, sure, but they'd really only just met each other a little over a week ago. Plus, he had no idea what he felt for May; he'd always had trouble understanding his feelings. That being said, he was pretty sure whatever he was feeling wasn't love or anything of the sort. But then again, Ash perfectly understood that he would have absolutely no idea what love, or even a crush felt like if he did have one. All he was certain of was that he liked May an incredible amount.

Relationships were one of the few things that truly scared Ash. It was one area where he had absolutely no experience and no idea where to even start. So even just thinking about a relationship with anyone always managed to stress him out.

Sure, he very much thought that May was an incredibly beautiful girl, and he loved spending time with her. But similar things could've been said about Misty. Though, he had an incredible amount in common with May, and that definitely couldn't be said about Misty. And if he was being honest, he found May to be a good deal more attractive than Misty...

And with May, Ash couldn't help but feel that everything was just a bit...different. That somehow, everything that happened between them would always be unlike anything either of them would ever feel with anyone else.

Though, Ash eventually decided that this wasn't the time to think about stuff like this; he didn't understand it anyway. He just told himself that himself and May were best friends, which was very much true. He didn't want to stress himself out on the subject, so he simply accepted the fact that whatever happened would happen.

As Ash was lost in thought, May began stirring awake. Ash didn't even notice the girl shifting, even though he was looking her direction, with his gaze nearly looking at straight her. It took a few moments, but May eventually opened her eyes, her eyes immediately moving toward Ash.

She immediately noticed that he seemed to be staring at her. While this normally might've made her blush, she was simply still too out of it from having just come out of her sleepy state to be embarrassed by it. Though as she began to wake up more, she began to notice that Ash wasn't actually staring at her. He was more looking _through_ her, very obviously lost in thought.

Realizing this, the young brunette smiled and looked to the clock to see that it was around 8:20am, a time May deemed worthy of getting up at. May then decided she should try to break Ash out of his stupor.

May, her right hand still connected with Ash's right, began waving her left hand in front of his face. "Hello? Anybody in there...?"

The hand motion in front of his face and the sweet voice of the woman in front of him made Ash finally break out of his thoughts. Once he was free of his mind, his eyes met May's, who was wearing a dazzling smile.

Ash couldn't help but blush as he realized he'd been staring while he was lost in thought. But he pushed that away quickly and returned the smile with one of his own.

"Good morning, May. Sleep well?" Ash questioned politely, hoping this would help to completely push his previous thoughts from his mind.

May nodded happily. "Very much so, thank you. What about you? You still feeling better?"

"Oh yeah! Stronger everyday!" Ashe exclaimed quietly while striking a pose and flexing his biceps jokingly.

May laughed at the man's antics while momentarily admiring his arms. May's mind then began to drift to just moments earlier.

"So, what had you so lost in thought?" May asked innocently, wanting to help the man should it be something troubling..

Ash groaned internally, having been hoping that she wouldn't have asked. He really didn't want to talk about what was going on in his mind, especially when some of the thoughts were about May herself. Though, he couldn't bring himself to outright lie, that's just not who he is. Quickly, he formulated what he hoped would be an acceptable response.

Ash smiled toothlessly at the girl, appreciating the fact that she obviously wanted to help him through whatever seemed to be troubling him.

"I was just thinking about some things that I'll have to take care of in the future. I really don't want to trouble you with it. Plus, it's not a very big deal." Ash explained to the woman, hoping that this would be enough to get off of the subject.

May immediately sensed that Ash simply didn't want to talk about whatever was on his mind, which she understood. Though, she wanted to let him know that should he ever need anything, that she was there. This was just like the conversation they'd had the night before only this time, the roles were reversed.

"Are you sure? Because you know I'll listen and help you however I can. I'm always going to be there for you when you need help, even if you just need someone to talk to. Remember that." May spoke with a sweet seriousness in her voice, conveying just how much she meant what she was saying.

Ash smiled appreciatively at the brunette in front of him and nodded his head. "Yes, I know. I promise that if there's ever something I need to talk to someone about, the first person I'll come to is you."

Before May could even formulate a response, Ash continued seriously. "And you know the same goes for me, right? Anytime you need anything, anything at all, you say the word and I'll be there to help you."

May smiled brightly at the man's words, a warm feeling of comfort flowed throughout her body. She then spoke, almost shyly. "I know, Ash. You've already proved that."

Ash acknowledged May's words with a head nod and an appreciative smile. "Thank you, May. You have no idea how much it means to me to know that I can come to you."

May returned Ash's smile. "Of course! That's what best friends are for, right?"

Ash chuckled a bit at the amount of enthusiasm in the woman's voice. "Yes it is."

The two shared another smile before Ash shifted slightly, seemingly to reposition himself in a more comfortable way. The only problem was when he was shifting his body, he'd accidentally put quite a bit of pressure on Pikachu's tail.

The yellow mouse pokemon's eyes shot wide open as an anger that Pikachu hadn't meant to exude filled his veins. Both May and Ash saw this, with May's eyes widening, having never seen Pikachu like this. Ash however, had. And he knew what was coming next...

Wisely, Ash let go of May's hand, breaking the connection so that she wouldn't feel any of what he knew was about to come. May was slightly confused by the action, but didn't argue and put her hand down. She then looked at Pikachu again. She would've been more afraid of the pokemon, but Ash's reaction to it kept her calm. He looked more...disappointed than fearful.

Ash let out a long sigh before speaking to his first pokemon. "Just get it over with, buddy. And please don't hit May."

As Ash finished speaking, Pikachu let out a small thunder shock attack, hitting Ash directly. May's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Ash's form being lit up like a christmas tree. He didn't seem to be reacting, the slight wince he was showing on his face was the only indicator that he was feeling the attack. The Thunder Shock only lasted a couple of seconds before it stopped.

When Pikachu stopped his attack, he immediately became apologetic. Ash kept his eyes closed for a few moments, getting over the shock. He also took a few deep breaths, having held his breath during the attack.

As the attack ended, May grew angry at the yellow pokemon and shot him a dirty look.

"Pikachu! How could you do that!?" May yelled, seeming to not care that others in the room were still sleeping.

Pikachu's face dropped even more at the scolding he was receiving from May. It was at this time that Ash fully got over the attack and assessed what was going on around him.

Seeing Pikachu looking downcast and May appearing angry, Ash couldn't help but chuckle. Ash then reached out and placed a hand on May's shoulder, drawing her gaze away from his first pokemon.

"It's okay, May. That's just something Pikachu does reflexively if he's woken up by any kind of pain. It's my fault for laying my leg down on his tail." Ash explained to the brunette, who was gobsmacked by the man's words.

"But he just attacked you! Aren't you hurt, or something!?" May questioned incredulously.

Ash giggled once again as he retracted his hand from May's shoulder and opened his arms, allowing Pikachu to happily jump into his lap. He immediately began petting the small pokemon. He then turned his attention back to May.

"This isn't even close to the first time this has happened. And it doesn't really hurt because Pikachu barely puts any power behind it. It's more Pikachu's way of telling me 'watch where you're stepping, dummy!' It's just one of his quirks." Ash spoke lightly while petting his pokemon, whom was enjoying it immensely.

May was still shocked by the whole situation but eventually just shook her head and chortled. Though even if Pikachu did do this at least semi-regularly, it still wasn't very smart at this particular time consider what Ash had recently gone through, and May had to let him know that.

"But even still. Pikachu, you shouldn't have done that. Not when Ash is still in the hospital. We can't be certain if anything might still be wrong with him that we don't know about, and the shock could've made it worse." May scolded the pokemon in an almost motherly tone.

Pikachu's ears dropped before he looked to Ash hoping he'd come to his defense. "She has a pretty good point, you know?"

"Pika pika pi..." Pikachu apologized sadly. His ears perked up and his face lightened immediately when he heard Ash and May chuckling. "Pika!"

"It's okay, Pikachu. Just don't do it again...while we're here. Once he's out though, I'd say that he's fair game." May told the yellow pokemon jokingly with an evil smirk on her face.

Ash looked at the brunette with a deadpanned look on his face. "Gee, May. Thanks..."

A few moments after Ash spoke, the two began laughing. Even Pikachu got involved in the laughter. What the two didn't realize was that the volume at which this whole situation had gone down at had woken up the others in the room. They were taking their time to wake up completely however, as the manner in which they were woken up in wasn't the most pleasant.

"You know May, with that scolding you gave Pikachu, I think you'd make a pretty good mother one day." Ash said offhandedly.

Despite Ash having no ulterior meaning behind the statement, his words still made May go noticeably red as her thoughts ran wild with what he'd said. Ash noticed the blush on May's face, but didn't quite understand why it was there.

After just a few moments, May let a grin slowly spread across her face. She knew Ash hadn't meant anything by it, and didn't realize any of the implications behind what he'd said; this was a perfect example of Ash's 'denseness', which she'd been told about. That's just how he is. Now that she realized this, she found his innocence on the subject very endearing and cute.

" Thank you, Ash. And might I say that I think you'd make a fine father one day as well." May responded to the man in front of her. If it were anyone else, there would be no way she would've said this. But because Ash had no idea of any implications behind what they were saying to each other, May found it almost funny to say it back to hm. Besides, she really did mean it as well.

Ash smiled at the woman's words before looking off. "I really hope so. I just want to be a better father to my kids than my dad was to me. Whenever that may happen."

May silently cursed herself for bringing up the whole 'father' thing. Though it seemed that because she now knew the full story, he wasn't as sensitive about it anymore around her. This was what allowed May to wipe out any regretful thoughts from her mind and really think about what Ash had said.

She hated the fact that Ash even thought for a second that he could be like his father. From what she was told about his dad, Ash was already much more of a man than he'd ever be. A much, _much_ better man. She knew Ash well, and she had complete confidence in the fact that he would make a fantastic father one day.

May noticed Ash was still staring off, lost in his own little world, his face stoic, and his gaze far off. She decided then that she should reassure his doubts. This was a perfect opportunity for her to be there to listen to him, to help him as she'd said she would do.

May put her hand on Ash's shoulder, much like he had done not long before, gaining the man's attention and snapping him out of his thoughts..

"You have nothing to worry about there. Even at 19, you're much more of a man than your father could ever dream to be." May started, her face and tone very sincere. "What are you afraid of?"

Ash found immense comfort in May's gaze and tone of voice, but he still felt the fears that were brought to the forefront of his mind as he thought about fatherhood, no matter how far off that was for him.

Ash let out a sigh before responding. "It's just...I'm afraid that it's in my nature to just... leave. If I ever did that to my kids, I would never be able to live with myself. But I'm so afraid that I'll still do as my father did. When I was younger, I was deadest on the idea that I didn't want to have kids because of these fears. But when I turned 18 and real life began, I really started to like the idea of one day having a few kids of my own. You know, continuing the Ketchum name, having a family. Even if that's not something I'll even have to think about dealing with for a long time, it still pops up in my head from time to time. And that fear is always there, nagging at me every time it does."

May felt an intense amount of sadness for what Ash was feeling. To her, the fear seemed so silly but she knew that because of what his father had done to him, the fear was very much rational in Ash's mind. May cursed Ash's father mentally once more for hurting him the way he did. She took a few moments to calm herself down from the anger she felt boiling up inside of her before she said anything. This also gave her time to formulate what she hoped would be a suitable response.

"Ash..." May forced the raven haired man to meet her gaze, a soft look on her face. "I feel like I've said this a million times, but I'll continue to say it for as long as I can. You're are the best person that I have ever met. You're kind, honest, selfless, courageous...you have every quality a man could ever hope to have, and I want you to be able to see that. Leaving isn't 'in your nature'. You are nothing, _nothing_ like your father, and you never will be. And I know for a fact that when you do have kids, however far off that may be, you will be the best father in the world to them. Because you know first hand what it feels like to be alone, and we both know that you'd never let your children go through that."

May spoke softly, but also with an amount of forcefulness that told Ash that she was being entirely truthful. Ash had always felt kind of stupid for having such an irrational fear, especially of something that wasn't going to happen for many years and because of this, he'd really hadn't ever told anybody about it. It rarely ever popped into his mind but when it did, he would simply get past it himself the best he could.

But after talking with May about being there for each other, and her bringing up fatherhood, he finally felt okay letting someone know of his fear. And he was incredibly glad that he did. May had managed to make him feel so much better about everything. She was right about all of it. He didn't know about all of the 'best person' stuff, but she helped him realize that he would never leave his kids when he had them. It seemed so obvious now that someone else had been the one to say it.

It was a few moments before Ash broke his gaze and shook his head in disbelief, chuckling. May became confused by the man's reaction, having not been expecting it. After just a few moments, Ash's eyes met May's and seeing the confusion on her face, decided to speak.

"Are you sure we only met a week ago?" Ash questioned jokingly, causing May to smile as well. "Because I've told you things about myself that almost no one knows, and I feel perfectly comfortable in doing so. And you're helping me through them like you're a friend I've had since childhood."

May felt another wave of warmth run throughout her body as she processed Ash's words. She was touched by what he was saying. May simply smiled and giggled at the man in front of her, taking her hand off of his shoulder.

"Who knows? Maybe we knew each other in a past life or something." May teased, causing Ash to chuckle.

"Well, at least it would explain it." Ash joked back before his face turned slightly more serious and sincere. "But I guess it really doesn't matter. I'm just glad that I get to know you _now_."

The warmth in her body ran up to her face as a light blush overcame her features, a sincere smile overtaking her features.

"I couldn't have said it better myself." May said the only thing that came to mind, as her thoughts were clouded with pure happiness at simply getting the chance to know the man in front of her.

She felt like some stupid school girl with a crush, but she really didn't care at the moment. She was just glad she'd helped reassure him, and that he felt the same way she did about their quickly developed friendship.

"And I know it's an irrational fear but even despite that, it still nagged at me forever. I just wish I could've realized it sooner." Ash mentioned offhandedly, momentarily returning to the previous subject.

"It wasn't irrational..." May said, before realizing that she should rephrase what she meant. "I mean, it wasn't irrational to _you_. And it makes perfect sense as to why. What happened to you when you were young obviously affected you in a lot of ways, and it made you believe something that would never actually happen. But all that's important is that you realize that you don't have to be afraid of that anymore."

Ash smiled softly at the brunette before responding. "Thank you, May."

"Like I said Ash, I'm always going to be there for you when you need someone. You're so focused on helping everyone else that it seems like you forget about yourself sometimes." May laughed at her words despite knowing that this was very true of the man in front of her.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right about that. But that's what I have friends for, right? People like you and Brock. People who can remind me that I need help sometimes too." Ash explained his mindset.

May nodded her head in agreement. "Exactly. Friends are the people who'll always pick you up when your down. And it's really obvious that you and Brock are really close."

Ash smiled as he thought about his relationship with the older man. "Yeah, we are. He's without a doubt my best guy friend. And to be honest, I don't think I would've made it through my first journey had he not been there with me."

"What do you mean?" May inquired, curious as to the story behind Ash's statement.

"Well, like I said before I didn't exactly... _plan_ my journey too well. When I left home, I had pretty much no idea how to navigate or cook. You should've seen me and Misty try to get through Viridian forest." Ash joked, causing May to laugh. "Plus, despite being 18, I was really still just a kid. I still am. Having Brock with me throughout the journey was invaluable. I'm an only child, and Brock is the closest thing I'll ever have to an older brother. And he plays that role with perfection."

"From being here with him this past week, it's easy to see that he's a good man. But I had no idea he'd made such an impression on you." May told Ash, whom nodded.

"Yeah, he's made a big impact on me. He taught me how to grow up, but also still be a kid, if that makes sense. And during a lot of our more dangerous travels, he was usually the only one to keep a level head. Misty usually didn't know what to do and me...well...I just wanted to rush in blindly and help wherever I could." Ash paused, laughing at himself causing May to do the same. "But Brock was the one who kept us straight. Even though he usually couldn't stop me from rushing into things like an idiot, he would always try."

"You try stopping someone as determined as you are." Brock's voice seemingly came out of nowhere. Both May and Ash turned their heads to the source of the voice to see Brock standing next to the cot that he was previously laying in.

They also took notice that it seemed Delia was still sleeping. Even though she'd been awoken by May's loud volume earlier, she'd managed to fall right back to sleep. Torchic also seemed to be awake, but appeared content just laying around for a bit longer.

"Good morning, Brock." May told the older man, receiving a good morning of her own.

Ash on the other hand wanted to respond to what he'd said first. "I know that I can be a lot to handle. Though, I do appreciate you trying."

Brock chuckled at his friend. "Anytime. Someone has to be there to at least try to convince you to get yourself killed. I mean, I leave you alone in Hoenn for one day and you go throwing yourself off a cliff!"

Both Ash and May laughed at the man's hilarious, yet very true statement. Ash wanted to retort, but he had absolutely no legs to stand on.

"What would you do without me." Brock added teasingly.

"Being completely honest with you, I don't know. That's why I'm glad you're still able to travel with me." Ash spoke truthfully, making the older man smile.

"Me too, Ash. What I felt when we all went our separate ways at the crossroads at the end of our Kanto journey is something I don't ever want to experience again." Brock revealed to the two in front of him.

Ash let a sad smile come across his face as he remembered the difficult moment. How he'd ran the remainder of the way home, crying his eyes out. Despite his feelings in that moment, he knew that even if they weren't always around each other, their friendship would always remain as true as when they were together.

"Yeah that was a hard day for all of us. I wish Misty was able to continue traveling with us." Ash mentioned. He then turned to May. "I think you two would've gotten along pretty well actually."

May did her best to smile and nod her head in agreement at Ash's words. Though, inside she felt the slightest bit of jealousy well up inside of her. The newly familiar feeling was starting to get on her nerves as she thought herself silly for even felling at the moment.

Brock had told her that Ash didn't have feelings for Misty, so that wasn't an issue. But hearing that he still wished to travel with her stung a bit, especially since he hadn't asked her to travel with him as of yet. This slightly discouraged her, but she still had every intention of bringing this matter up before they would leave her home to start their journeys.

"I'm with you there. Sure, she could be a bit much sometimes, but she really was a good friend. Still is. I just feel bad for her. She didn't want to stop traveling with us, but her sisters didn't want to run the gym anymore. It seems they thought their dreams were more important than Misty's" Brock stated.

"I just hope she's happy. It's not fair that her sisters forced her to take over the gym, but I suppose it will help her reach her dream of becoming the world's best water pokemon trainer. I hope that one day, she might be able to travel with us again, whenever that may be." Ash mentioned, earning a nod of agreement from Brock.

May paid close attention to the conversation going on in front of her. Despite the jealousy she felt when Misty was brought up, this conversation still gave her another window into Ash's life. Into Brock's life as well.

As this was going on, Delia began stirring awake. She sat up, gaining the other three's attention. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that all eyes were on her, making her a bit uncomfortable, especially since she'd only just woken up.

"Umm...Good morning!" Delia greeted, not even a hint of tiredness detectable in her voice; Delia had always been one who did well in the mornings.

Her greeting earned a response from everyone in the room, including the two pokemon.

"Did you sleep well, Mom?" Ash questioned.

Delia nodded, a toothless smile plastered on her face. "Yes I did, sweetie. This cot is really starting to grow on me, especially given the alternative."

"That reminds me." Brock stated, earning everyone's attention. The man looked specifically toward May. "You're sleeping on my cot tonight. You need a night where you don't have to be slouched over in a chair."

"But Brock, I really am fine. It's comfortable for m-"

"No buts! I'm not taking no for an answer."

May was doing her best to plead her case only to be cut of by Brock. What she wanted to, but couldn't tell Brock was currently circling her mind.

She was very worried that without the comfort Ash's touch provided her, she would have a hard time sleeping in this hospital. Hospitals really weren't here favorite place, and she would admit that she normally didn't feel comfortable in them in the slightest. But with Ash around, she felt okay and at night, his touch and presence seemed to calm her down enough to allow her to sleep. That was why she'd been comfortable sleeping in the chair; because that was the only place she could hold Ash's hand while they slept. But for tonight at least, it seemed she didn't have much of a choice.

May let out a sigh before responding. "Okay. But only for tonight! I promise you, I'm not lying when I say that I'm comfortable sleeping in the chair and resting my head on the bed. After tonight, you guys can have the cots for the rest of the time we're here."

Brock looked to Delia, both agreeing to her terms. After all the times she'd said it, they were starting to believe that May really was comfortable in the position she'd been sleeping in, despite how it looked.

"Okay, May. But I think you might regret saying that after you sleep on the cot." Brock said teasingly, causing the brunette to smile. "It does wonders for your back."

For some reason, May's back had yet to become sore in the slightest, even after spending so many nights slouched over in a chair. She simply counted her self lucky and didn't think too much of it.

The group went on to perform their morning rituals, whatever they might be. Now that this conversation was out of the way, the group sent Brock to grab some breakfast. Although Ash and May didn't have nearly as much food as the previous day, watching them eat was still a sight to see.

They then spent a while just chatting with each other. At one point, Brock opted to go take a shower, with the others saying that they'd do it later. They simply chatted away, waiting for the time Professor Birch would show up. While they were waiting for the man, Doctor Miller came by to put Ash through some more physical therapy, which went extremely well.

When the professor did show up, Mightyena and her cubs in tow, he proved true to his word as he'd brought a couple decks of cards, and a few bored games. The entertainment was welcomed with open arms as it would finally give them something to do rather than just talking from morning until night. While they all enjoyed each other's company and valued the conversations they had, things did get mundane and boring every once in a while.

Professor Birch stayed for a few hours, talking about the things he was currently working on in the lab. He was apparently doing a lot of field research and he would have Mightyena come along as to assist him, all the while protecting him from other wild pokemon. This was surely beneficial to him and made it so he wouldn't end up in a tree again...

The rest of the day went by slightly faster than the others before it. After Professor Birch left, the rest of the gang got their showers in. They then proceeded to play card games and chat up until it was time for them to go to sleep.

After getting completely ready for bed, Brock took up his spot in a chair, closer to the foot of the bed than May had been and put his head down. It didn't take long for the man to fall asleep.

Delia was the same way. Once her head hit the pillow on the cot, it was only a matter of time before she drifted off to dreamland as well.

Now, all that were left awake were Ash and May. It just seemed in their nature that they had more energy than Brock and Delia A the moment, neither of them were very tired.

"Are you tired, May." Ash questioned, keeping his voice low. Though, it was still above the level of a whisper.

"No. Are you?" May inquired.

"Not at all." Ash responded. After he said this, May grabbed another chair and pulled it up next to Ash's bed. Though, she placed it much closer to the part of the bed where his head was station than when she would sleep on the chair. This was a better way for them to be able to talk to one another without having to worry about being too loud as they were further from Brock than they would've been if May had been in her normal position.

"Well...Only five more days until you get out of here!" May teased, faux excitement evident in her voice.

Ash scoffed at the woman's words. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me. Though since you're adamant about staying by my side until I leave this place, it's just as bad for you as it is for me."

"Ah, it's not all that bad. It gives us time to talk and really get to know each other. Plus we get all the 'fantastic' hospital food we can eat!." May joked, causing them both to snicker quietly.

"Hey, I didn't see you complaining when you were scarfing down dinner." Ash retorted with a joke of his own.

May crossed her arms and let out a scoff of her own. "Please, like you're any better."

The two couldn't help but laugh quietly once again before they fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments.

After a few seconds had passed, Ash thought of something he wanted to bring up again, just to be sure about it.

"May?" Ash said, earning the girl's attention. "Are you sure you don't want to start your journey already? As much as I love having you here with me, I don't want to hold you back from accomplishing your dream."

May smiled softly at Ash's kind nature before she formulated a response. "Ash I promise, you're not holding me back from anything. I'm staying here because I _want_ to. You getting out of here is much more important than me starting my journey. Plus, I really enjoy hanging around and talking with everyone, you especially."

Ash let a smile of his own appear on his face as he processed May's words. "I'm glad. And I really like hanging around and talking with everyone too, you especially."

May felt happiness fill her as Ash used the same statement she had to him, meaning he was on the same page as her. The two then fell into another comfortable silence.

May allowed her gaze to look out the window, while Ash's eyes were looking toward the ceiling. Both seemed to be thinking of various things. For some reason, Ash began thinking about the accident once again.

His life had literally ended just a couple of days ago, only to be resumed again. It wasn't lost on him that this was the second time he had died, only to be brought back to life by some miracle. He'd even been told by the doctors that he probably shouldn't have been able to even survive the initial fall.

So how was he alive?

 _Why_ was he alive?

Little did he know, May was thinking about the same thing; it was an odd scenario, but their minds just seemed to be in the same place as night was a perfect time to think about everything and anything, especially things as major as this event was.

May forced herself out of her head momentarily and brought her gaze back to Ash, noticing that he was still staring at the ceiling, obviously lost in thought. Deciding she'd had enough of the silence she spoke.

"What're you thinking about, Ash?" May inquired, still keeping her voice relatively low due to the sleeping people and pokemon around them.

May's voice snapped Ash out of his thoughts. He brought his gaze down to meet the brunette's eyes, only just processing what she'd asked.

Ash smiled toothlessly before responding. "Nothing major. I was just thinking about the accident again. How despite the odds, I managed to survive somehow."

May's eyes widened in surprise as Ash spoke. Ash, noticing this, looked at the woman in confusion.

"That's so weird" May started slowly. "I was thinking about the exact same thing."

Ash chuckled lightly. "Huh...that is kind of weird. But anyway, that's what I was thinking about. I'm just wondering why I've been given these second chances. I just don't understand why me of all people has been so lucky. Why no matter how bleak the situations I've found myself in seem, I've always made it out okay. I just don't get it."

May pondered over what Ash had said here. She quickly remembered all the stories she'd been told by Brock of their past adventures. Ash had seemingly beat the odds in every scenario he was in.

The incident with Mewtwo stuck out the most in her mind. It was almost unbelievable that this most recent incident wasn't the first thing that'd killed Ash. He'd actually died before, only to be brought back by the tears of pokemon. He'd died twice, only to be saved both times by what had to be considered a miracle.

As she continued thinking about this, May's mind went to the story of Ash's adventure with Lugia and the legendary birds of Kanto. She remembered vividly the prophecy that Brock had told her about. How it mentioned Ash by name...

It was then that a theory popped into her mind. Of course she couldn't be sure, but it was something. She decided she should get Ash's opinion on what she was thinking.

"Ash." May said to Ash, who'd seemingly fallen back into deep thought. Though, May now held his undivided attention once again. "Do you think...Do you think that the reason you managed to survive is because you might be Arceus' chosen one?"

Ash eyes widened in surprise at the beautiful girl's words. For some reason, he hadn't even considered this. He was also surprised that May knew about him potentially being Arceus' chosen hero. Though, he was aware that Brock had told her the stories of their past adventures, so he really shouldn't have been shocked in the slightest.

"So Brock told you about that, huh?" Ash started, earning a nod from May. Ash then took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair as his hat was currently off for the night. "I don't know. Honestly, I have a hard enough time just believing that I might actually be Arceus' chosen one."

May cocked her head in confusion. "But why? Brock told me the prophesy. It mentions you by name."

"Wouldn't you have a hard time believing that some ancient prophesy mentions you and points to you being this generations chosen one?" Ash questioned rhetorically. Seeing that May couldn't find a good response to his question, Ash let out a sigh before continuing. "I know that it mentions me, that the word 'ash' in the prophesy more than likely was a name rather than the noun. And I know that there have been a lot of indicators that this might be true, such as what Slowking and Lugia told me. I mean, I've met more legendary pokemon than most people could even dream of!"

"Yeah, those stories are so amazing. It's almost unbelievable all you've seen and done." May told the man in front of her.

Ash scoffed. "You're telling me. I lived all of those things and even I have a hard time believing them..."

The two shared a chuckle at Ash words before becoming serious again. The whole 'chosen one' thing was a really strange topic for Ash. How does one react to finding out that there's a very good chance that you're some fabled chosen one, hand picked by Arceus himself?

"It's just a lot to take in, even so far removed from the incident that sparked this whole thing. I still have a hard time grasping how this could even be possible. I mean as far as most people know, the whole 'chosen one' story is just that, a story. It's not supposed to be real...but it is. To know that Arceus, a god, very well might've deemed me to be pure hearted enough to make me his chosen hero...it's just so hard to accept." Ash finished again. He was really just venting at the moment. This situation always served to confuse him immensely.

"So to answer your question...maybe. Maybe the reason I'm still here is because Arceus is looking out for me. That I'm his chosen one. What is the chosen one even supposed to do anyway?" Ash finished with an open ended question, finally accepting that this might be the reason why he'd managed to survive such incredible odds and experience things most people couldn't even imagine.

May was looking slightly downward, the look on her face telling Ash that she was thinking deeply. After a few moments of silence, May brought her gaze up to meet Ash's.

"...What you're doing." May said, confusing Ash greatly. Seeing the confusion on his face, May continued. "What the chosen one is supposed to do. I think that it's to do what you're doing."

May's answer only served to confuse Ash further. "What do you mean?"

May thought for a few moments on how to respond before actually doing so. "Well...you said yourself that one of your main goals in life is to help any and all people and pokemon you can. Doesn't that seem like something someone who was chosen by Arceus to be a hero of this world would do?"

As May came back with a rhetorical question of her own, Ash pondered over her words. She did have a good point, and Ash realized this immediately.

"And you're the kindest, most pure hearted person I've ever met, so that adds up as well." May stated thoughtfully, causing Ash to blush at the praise. "Based on the stories, it seems that you have everything that the chosen one is supposed to have. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out you are Arceus' chosen one. Plus...I don't think Arceus could even begin to hope to find someone better than you for this."

Even though Ash had known for almost a year that he could potentially be the chosen one, hearing someone else list out all the reasons why he most likely was hit him like a ton of bricks. May's rationale was forcing away a lot of the doubt that Ash held in his mind about the topic, which he realized he'd been using almost as a defense mechanism; the prospect of being the chosen one was always so scary and intimidating, and Ash's uncertainly made it easier to manage.

Ash remembered the stories from when he was young. The chosen one was supposed to be a protector of the legendary pokemon of the world, and given all the times that Ash had helped legendary pokemon on his journey, it just made sense. The chosen one was supposed to help both people and pokemon alike, and that was one of Ash's main goals in life. It all added up. When he really thought about it, he did have a lot of the qualities that the chosen one was required to have. The pieces just fit together so perfectly.

"No matter how long I've known about this, it's still really heavy stuff. It's a lot, and I mean _a lot_ to take in." Ash mentioned, causing May to nod her head in agreement.

"To be honest, I didn't even believe it when Brock he first told me. I mean, 'the chosen one' was a story my parents used to read to me when I was a kid, not a real thing. But I knew Brock wouldn't lie to me. And I trust you completely. Plus, everything adds up. It makes total sense." May told the man in front of her.

Ash barely registered what May was saying as he was still lost in thought. If he really was Arceus' chosen one, than that meant that Arceus' was more than likely watching over him. He wasn't stupid enough to think that he couldn't die, but maybe Arceus _had_ helped him survive some of the more sticky situations he'd found himself in...

After being forced to think about the possible reality of the subject more than ever before, a big question popped into his mind.

" _If Arceus really has been looking out for me...then why did he let my father leave?"_ Ash thought as anger welled up inside of him. Why did he let the man who should've been raising him walk out on his family, never to return? What kind of god would do that to the person that is supposedly so important to them?

Most people who thought Arceus to be a god believed that the pokemon doesn't get involved in life's natural progression. That being said with the possibility of being the chosen one, Ash thought that maybe, Arceus would make an exception for him. Though, he was fairly certain that this would be something he would never truly know.

Ash felt a great deal of anger fill his body at his thoughts. Though, he quickly forced himself to get over it. He would never be able to find out the answer. Not unless he ever actually got the chance to meet Arceus. If that ever happened, no matter how unlikely it may be, he would be sure to ask him.

"Ash, are you okay?" May question, once again snapping Ash back to reality. May noticed Ash's face contort in anger and she wanted to make sure that he was alright.

Ash, not wanting to dwell on the subject any longer, smiled genuinely at the brunette after forcing the thought out of his head. "Yeah I'm fine, May. Thank you."

May accepted Ash's words. She felt that she could read Ash fairly well and as far as she could tell, he was being sincere in saying he was fine. She smiled at the man before Ash let out a big yawn.

May couldn't help but giggle at the man in front of her. "Looks like you were more tired than you thought."

Ash let out a chuckle of his own. "Yeah, looks like it. I guess we should be getting to bed. Try to have a good nights sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

May smiled at the man and shared a goodnight of her own. Ash then proceeded to lay down from his previous seated position in an effort to get ready to fall sleep.

Seeing Ash close his eyes, May let out a quiet sigh as she stood from her chair, planning on making her way over to the cot that would house her for the night. She was tired, but she was still worried that she would have trouble falling asleep.

Even despite the fact that she was in other people's presence, she still felt slightly uncomfortable being in a hospital at nighttime. The only thing that'd brought her comfort over the past week was sleeping closely to Ash and holding his hand.

While Ash was still close by, she missed the warmness and the comfort that Ash's grasp provided her. May tried her best to settle into the cot, tossing and turning restlessly hoping that maybe, a different position would help her sleep. After 5 minutes of trying to force herself to sleep, she all but gave up. She knew it normally took longer than this to fall asleep, but she could tell that this was going nowhere

She decided that maybe a walk would help. She'd enjoyed it the night before but then again, she did have Delia to chat with. Though despite this, she stood to her feet, still undecided as to if she would go for a walk or not.

"May?"

Before she could take a step, May heard a familiar voice whisper to her through the darkness. As her eyes had long ago adjusted to the low light, she followed the voice and could clearly see that it had come from Ash.

Ash sat himself up again, looking at May with concern. Despite feeling tired, he was finding it a bit difficult to fall asleep. And when he heard shuffling, he looked to see what was happening only to find May standing from her cot, appearing uncomfortable. She might have just needed to go to the restroom, but Ash thought he should still check to make sure she was alright.

"Ash? What're you still doing up?" May questioned as she approached the man, hoping to get closer so they would be able to hear each other better.

"I'm not sure. I'm just having a bit of trouble falling asleep. It'll come at some point though. I just heard you rustling around and wanted to make sure you were okay." Ash revealed to the girl.

May smiled at the sentiment. "Thank you Ash, but I-I'm fine."

May knew that she didn't sound convincing whatsoever and even if she had, she doubted Ash would've fallen for to anyway; for as well as she could read him, he could do the same with her.

Ash's look told May that he knew she wasn't being truthful. Seeing she wasn't getting out of this, May sighed and approached Ash closer.

"I'm just having a lot of trouble going to sleep..." May said cryptically.

Ash became slightly confused by May's response. "Okay...If you just lay down, I'm sure sleep will come to you sooner or later. I'm having trouble sleeping too, but there's no reason to be worried about it."

May felt slightly embarrassed about revealing the reason she was having trouble sleeping, but she thought that Ash would be able to help her. Sure, she could just pull up a chair and sleep as she normally did but if Brock saw that she hadn't slept on the cot at least once, she feared he would make her her to do it again another night. Whether that was rational or not, she didn't know, but she didn't want to risk it either way.

"The reason I can't sleep is because...I'm uncomfortable being in hospital at night. I had to stay a few nights in a hospital when I was young and I didn't have a very good experience..." May revealed to the man, who looked at her sympathetically, but also with a bit of confusion.

"But you've slept here for over a week. How did you do it those nights?" Ash inquired, very much confused.

Mat forced herself to try to get over her embarrassment. She knew she shouldn't be embarrassed around Ash anyway. Though, this was something that would surely be embarrassing, no matter what. She accepted that this feeling would be present, but she would just move forward anyway.

May let out another sigh before responding. "When I would sleep in the chair, I was comfortable. Not because of the position I was in, but because I was...close to you." May told Ash timidly, making Ash eyes widen slightly. "Holding your hand is what made me comfortable enough to fall asleep every night."

"But why?" Ash was curious as to why May felt the way she did, why he was the only thing that made her comfortable here.

May shrugged her shoulders, a blush, which was invisible to Ash in the darkness, plastered on her face. "Well...I mean...you saved my life. After that, I just felt so...safe, so comfortable, when you were around. And those feelings of comfort have only grown stronger as I've gotten to know you and we became closer."

Upon hearing the brunette's explanation, Ash let a smile overtake his face. "I'm glad that you feel that way, May. I'm happy that I can help you feel comfortable. I'll always protect you, and I'm happy that you know that."

May smiled back at Ash and nodded her head. "I just don't think I'll be able to get to sleep without doing what I've been doing every night we've been here. But I promised Brock I'd sleep on the cot, and I don't like to go back on my promises."

Ash nodded his head, respecting that she was one to always kept her promises. Ash then thought about something that would make May comfortable while she slept on the cot. It took a few moments, but Ash eventually thought that he'd come up with a halfway decent idea.

Without saying a words, Ash reached over to the bedside table and grabbed his hat. He gave it a once over and brushed his hand on the bill, hoping that it would clean it slightly despite the fact that it wasn't actually dirty. Ash smiled as he looked at the emblem on the front before looking at May, who was watching him curiosly.

Before Ash spoke, he outstretched his hand that held the hat in front of May, motioning for her to take it. Seeing what he was doing, May grabbed the hat.

"That's the hat I plan on wearing while I travel Hoenn. My other hat has seen some incredible things, and I'm hoping I'll get to make just as many memories while wearing that one. My hats are pretty important to me, as weird as that sounds. It's kind of like a part of me. So I'm thinking that maybe if you hold onto my hat while laying down, it might help you get to sleep." Ash finished happily, proud that he thought he'd figured out a great solution to the problem.

May turned the hat so that the front was facing her. She rubbed her thumb over the emblem a few times as she thought about things. She remembered how Max had wanted the hat that Ash had made famous in the Kanto League. And this hat would surely have the same fate when he competed in the Hoenn League. It really did seem like this hat was a part of Ash. Even just holding it now comforted her immensely.

May's stopped thumbing the emblem on the hat and looked up to meet Ash smiling face. May then shot forward and captured Ash in what was admittedly an awkward hug as Ash was sitting and having to lean over the side of the bed to do so.

After a few moments, the two broke apart and shared a smile.

"Thanks, Ash. This was a great idea." May thanked the man genuinely, happy that he'd come up with such a good solution.

"Hey, even I can have one of those every once in a while." Ash joked, causing both people to laugh quietly.

Now that May was feeling more comfortable, she also began feeling very tired. Before she went back to her cot, she smiled at Ash once more.

"Goodnight, Ash." May spoke sweetly.

"Goodnight, May. Sweet dreams." Ash responded softly.

With the goodnights having been said, May made her way back over to her cot. She lay on her back, the hat laying on her chest with both hands atop it. It was barely a few moments before she fell asleep, a content smile set on her face.

* * *

 **A/N: As some of you are probabl happy to hear, next chapter Ash and the gang will finally be leaving the hospital. Despite what anyone may think, I'm very pleased with how this 'hospital arc' went down. A lot of important character development happened, relationships were strengthened immensely, and bonds were deepened beyond belief. Thanks for reading and please follow, favorite and review! See ya!**


	10. Release

**A/N: Please read author's note at the end. Thank you and enjoy!**

* * *

How to Change a Life

The next two days involved much of the same. The gang would wake up, eat breakfast, talk for a while, and shower. And at some point, Professor Birch would show up with Mightyena and her cubs. They would sit and talk for a few hours before he would take his leave, leaving the others alone in the hospital room.

They would pass the time with games and conversation. Some of the board games were already becoming stale, but they really didn't have much else to do. Though, there were many different games that they could play with cards, which was nice as it kept things fresh.

The only thing different was on the fourth day, when the doctor entered the room for what everyone assumed to be Ash's 'physical therapy', if you could even call it that anymore; at this point, it was really just Ash walking normally from one position to another.

As the doctor entered the room, Ash swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up easily. "Hey, doc! We gonna do some walking?"

Ash and the others were very surprised when Doctor Miller put his hand up and shook his head. "Not today, Ash. In fact, I think it's safe to say that we're done with your physical therapy."

This news made everyone break into smiles. Ash now felt as if he was almost completely back to 100% and hearing that he no longer had to do physical therapy meant that the doctors agreed that he was almost back to normal.

"That's great news! But if you're not here for physical therapy, then why are you here?" May questioned. Sure, doctors would come in semi-frequently just to check on things, but Doctor Miller almost never came in unless he was going to have Ash do physical therapy.

The doctor couldn't hide the smile that was growing on his face. "Well, I have some good news..."

After hearing this the people in the room pokemon included, became eager to hear what the man had to say. Though, he seemed to be tormenting them by not yet telling them what the news was. Even if it was jut a few seconds, Ash became incredibly impatient.

"Well? What is it, doc?" Ash spoke, his impatience and excitement evident in his voice. The others were feeling impatient as well, so they were glad that Ash had said something.

"Sorry, I was just trying to build a bit of suspense." Doctor Miller revealed before continuing. "Well... myself and the other doctors we have working on you have agreed that we feel comfortable with you leaving the hospital earlier than we originally planned."

The joy in everyone was hardly contained as the happiness they felt showed clearly on their faces. Ash, May and the pokemon even voice their happiness at the news with a chorus of 'Yeah'!' and 'Alright's!'.

"So, when will Ash be able to leave." Brock questioned, wanting to know exactly how early they would be able to get out of this place. The hospital and its staff had been good to them but it was still just that. A hospital. And no one wanted to stay in one for a long period of time.

"I feel comfortable enough to let Ash leave tomorrow morning. There's a bit of paperwork that can be taken care of tonight so that you guys can leave first thing in the morning." Doctor Miller told the group happily.

Doctor Miller was still amazed that this man had managed to survive. And now, Ash was going to get out of the hospital. His story would surely be one that himself, nor the other doctors who worked on him, would ever forget.

"Alright! This is great news! Right buddy?" Ash question his first pokemon, Pikachu.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as he jumped into Ash's arms, causing him to laugh and the others watching to smile.

"Even though we're letting you out early, I still want you to take it easy for another 3-5 days. I know that you have plans to start a journey, but I want you to hold off on that for a few more days so that you can recover completely." Doctor Miller explained to the boy. He was expecting a groan of disappointment but instead, all he received was a joyous smile.

"Sounds good, doc. May said we could stay at her place for a few days so I can get back to one hundred percent." Ash then turned his gaze to May. "And I'm super excited to see where you live. Even more so to meet your parents!"

May was overjoyed at how much Ash wanted to see her home and meet her parents as it showed how much interest he had in her. She nodded her head at the raven haired trainer.

"It's gonna be a lot of fun! And my parents are going to love you, there's no way they won't!" May exclaimed. Her words seemed to make Ash even more excited.

"Well, that's all I wanted to say. I'll be taking my leave now. And please try and find me before you leave. I'd like to see you off." Doctor Miller asked of the group, earning nods of agreement from them all.

"Thank you, doctor. We really appreciate all you've done for my Ash, and us as well." Delia said to the man, whom nodded his head in acknowledgement and appreciation.

"It was truly my pleasure. I'll have someone swing by in a bit to drop off the discharge papers so that Ash can sign some things and they can be taken care of tonight. I'll see you all soon." With that said, Doctor Miller took his leave.

"Oh man, I'm so happy that I finally get to leave this place!" Ash exclaimed, still feeling the excitement from when it was first revealed that he could leave tomorrow morning.

"You and me both. We've been in this hospital for far too long." May added, causing everyone to laugh and nod their heads in agreement. While they were all happy to stay by Ash's side, they still didn't like the fact that it had to be in a hospital.

"And I really am excited to hang out at May's house for a while." Ash said again before turning his attention to the other man in the room. "Aren't you, Brock?"

The older man nodded his head while smiling. "Definitely! Very much so. I'm very eager to see what a combination house/gym looks like."

May laughed at the man's words. "It's really not all that special, so don't get your hopes up too high. But we are going to have a great time. I'll show you around Petalburgh, we can hang out and just have a good time!"

"That sound great to me, May." Ash told the girl as they shared a smile.

It was then May remembered something that made her groan in annoyance. Seeing this, the others waited for her to explain herself. May met Ash's gaze before speaking.

"I totally forgot about my brother..." May stated cryptically.

"Oh yeah. Didn't you say he was a fan of mine?" Ash inquired as he though he remembered May telling him that sometime earlier.

May nodded her head in the affirmative. "Yes he is. And I feel I need to warn you, he can be a little... much. Especially since you're a successful trainer. He's going to absolutely bombard you with questions and comments about battling."

Ash couldn't seem to find where the problem was. "Okay...I'm happy to talk about battling. I do love it after all!"

"Let's just see how much you love talking to my _brother_ about it." May responded. No one ever believe just how annoying Max could be, but she fully expected Ash to be one of those who would find out first hand.

It was at this time that Professor Birch made his arrival. He could feel that the air in the room seemed very light, and was curious as to what'd happened to make it this way.

"What's got you guys so happy?' Professor Birch asked, causing everyone to realize that he was there. They all said their greetings before acknowledging his question.

"The doctor just came in and he told us that Ash will be discharged tomorrow morning. He's getting out earlier than expected!" Brock told the man, who smiled at the revelation.

"That's great news! I'm glad to see that you're healthy enough to leave the hospital." The professor said while looking at Ash, who nodded at his words.

"I am too! Though, the doctor said I still have to take it easy for a few more days and can't start my journey right away. But that's fine since we're going to be staying at May's house for that time." Ash told the man.

As he took in the young man's words, Professor Birch got an idea. "I'd be happy to drive you all there. It's just in Petalburgh after all. Plus, that's quite a long walk for someone who is just getting out of the hospital."

While Ash was completely confident that he could handle the walk with relative ease, he still accepted the professor's offer.

Ash nodded his head at the older man before responding. "That'd be great, Professor. Thank you."

With the mention of travel, Brock began to think of how Delia was going to get back home. He turned to the woman in order to speak to her, which everyone noticed.

"Hey Delia? How are you planning on getting back to Kanto?" Brock questioned the young mother.

"I think I'm going to be taking a ferry out of Slateport City. I know we flew here but I don't really like flying and the tickets are quite expensive. Plus, there's barely any flights anyway. We were lucky to get one when we did." Delia told the man, though everyone heard what she'd said.

"But mom, how are you going to get to Slateport City. That's a pretty far walk. If money is the problem, you can take some of my tournament winnings." Ash offered to his mother. He'd received a sizable amount of money for winning the Kanto pokemon league, so paying for a flight wouldn't be a problem.

Delia simply shook her head at her son. "No Ash, that's your money. You earned it. Plus, that's not really the issue. I would just much prefer taking a ferry. Flying on planes always makes me uneasy."

"If I may interject, I'd be more than happy to drive you to Slateport." Professor Birch interrupted.

Delia, along with the others, were surprised by the offer. "Oh, no that's quite alright. I appreciate the offer, but I couldn't ask you to do that."

"I insist. It's not too long a drive. I can take you straight from Petalburg after dropping the others off at May's house." Professor Birch explained. The drive definitely wouldn't be short, but Birch really didn't mind driving, especially since it was to help out a new friend.

Delia was about to politely decline the offer once again before she decided it would be best just to accept it. The walk to Slateport City would take quite a while, and she did need to get back to her garden, as well as Mimey, who was looking after things at home.

"Thank you, Adam. I'd really appreciate that." Delia spoke kindly to the man, whom smiled and nodded his head in response before explaining once again that it was no big deal.

Again, Professor Birch stayed for a few hours and talked with the gang for what would be the last time in this setting. They even took to playing a few card games.

Somewhere during the day, a nurse stopped by and dropped off some papers that Ash would have to fill out, which he happily did immediately. These were the papers that would grant his freedom from this place, and he couldn't be more excited to get them finished.

The professor stayed for quite a while on this day as it was to be the last that everyone would be here together. It was dark out before Professor Birch and the Mightyena, along her cubs, took their leave.

The rest of the day was a lot like the others, with nothing but conversation and games to pass the time. Though because they knew that this was their last day in the hospital, the games seemed a little more fun and the jokes, a little more funny.

For the first time in a while, the day seemed to fly by. Before anyone knew it, the sun had gone down and it was getting very late. No one even noticed the time until the clock struck midnight. As if on cue, when they all realized the time, Brock let out a yawn.

They all decided to get ready for bed, which never took long. Brock and Delia, like normal, were the first to fall asleep. They were out even before May and Ash had fully settled in for bed.

It wasn't too long after the others were asleep that May and Ash were finally in their respective sleeping spots.

"It's kind of hard to believe that it's your last night in the hospital. I mean, it's been almost two weeks since we first brought you here." May said to Ash.

"Yeah...it's feels like forever since everything went down. Since I...went down." Ash joked, causing May to laugh uncontrollably at the stupid joke. Now that Ash was almost completely back to normal, jokes about the accident were much funnier.

Once May recovered from her fit of laughter, the two sat in silence for a few moments.

"But in all seriousness, it is pretty insane that we've all been here for almost two weeks. Even if I was unconscious for a lot of it." Ash started. "But I can't even imagine having to be sentient in a hospital for two weeks. I really appreciate what you guys did for me by staying by my side."

May smiled sweetly at the man in front of her. "Of course, Ash. We all care about you, and that's what you do for people you care about. Plus like I've said a million times, you saved my life and the least I can do is stay by your side. And believe it or not, I really enjoyed my time here...after you were awake that is. Before that, it was more stressful and terrifying than anything. But this past week, we've really gotten to know each other, and it was easily one of the best weeks of my life."

Both Ash and May blushed slightly at the brunette's words. Ash, in embarrassment over the praise, and May because of her boldness.

"I'm with you there, May. This week has definitely been one of the best of my life as well, and I have you to thank for that. Despite everything, I'm really happy that I'm here. That I got to meet you. It's so crazy to think that if even just one thing had been different, we might've never met." After Ash spoke, he began pondering things that potentially could've caused them to miss each other and never meet at all.

"Had I arrived a day later or a day before. If I decided not to go to Professor Birch's lab before I started my journey. Had you started your journey earlier or later...All of these things could've meant us never meeting one another." Ash finished, very happy with how everything had fallen into place that'd allowed them to meet.

May felt a great amount of fear well up inside of her when she thought about having never gotten to meet Ash. Especially since she'd actually had every intention of leaving a day earlier than she did, only to have her parents convince her to stay one more day. She would definitely have to thank them for that at some point...

"I'm just so happy that it all worked out in the end." May said to the man in front of her, a genuine smile on her face.

"Me too. I wouldn't change a thing about what happened that day." Ash spoke sincerely.

May chuckled momentarily before raising an eyebrow. "Even the part where you fell off of a cliff?"

Despite her teasing tone of voice, Ash remained serious, but still held a softness in his expression as well.

"If it meant I wouldn't get to meet you, then no. I would go through that a million times over because it was a result of me helping out the person who would end up becoming one of my best friends." Ash spoke with conviction, conveying just how sincere he was being.

May inaudibly gasped at Ash words as she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Hearing how much he cared for her always made her heart beat madly and fill up with absolute joy, and this time was no different. Before she met Ash, May never knew she could even feel things like this. She was incredibly happy to be so cared for, so appreciated for simply being herself. Ash really did know how to make a girl feel special.

May wiped the tears out of her eyes before she giggled. "You really are something else, you know that?"

"Funny...I was about to say the same thing about you." Ash responded, a sweet smile on his face.

That was it for May. She really couldn't control herself anymore. She quickly stood from her chair and hopped on the bed before taking Ash into her embrace. The hug was much like when he'd first woken up, with May straddling the man's waist and holding on tightly, her head buried into his chest.

May had moved so quickly that Ash was actually surprised. Though, it didn't take long for him to get over the momentary shock and hug the brunette back. He definitely didn't hug his other friends this much, but he could very much see himself getting used to doing so with May.

May refused to budge for minutes, not that Ash minded. He simply took to running a hand up and down her back, and also sometimes running his hand down the back of her head, feeling the softness of her hair.

It was almost 3 minutes later before anything changed. Ash pulled back just slightly, still holding onto the woman, to look at her face. He'd thought he heard her breathing pattern change and when he looked at her expression, it was clear to see why.

She'd fallen asleep.

Ash couldn't help but chuckle at the situation as he thought to himself. _"Well...she did say she was only comfortable sleeping here when she was near me. I guess she got a little too comfortable this time."_

Ash didn't want to wake the brunette up, but he also wasn't going to allow them to sleep like this; it would be much to awkward. As quickly devised how he was to move around, all the while making sure May didn't wake up. Obviously, it wouldn't be the biggest deal in the world if May woke up, but Ash wanted to allow her to sleep.

Because he was feeling almost 100% better, Ash decided that he'd allow May to take the hospital bed for their final night. His mother had always raised him that in situations where there weren't enough beds for everyone, he should always offer it up to others, and this was something he always did happily.

Moving smoothly, Ash lifted May from the side and slide out from under her. Once he'd gotten himself off the bed, he looked to make sure that May hadn't woken up. He was happy to see that she seemed to still be in dreamland. Had she woken up, there would've been no way that she would've let him sleep anywhere but in the bed.

Content with the outcome, Ash took a seat on the chair that May would've been sleeping in. He was beginning to feel the exhaustion of the day catch up to him, and he felt more than ready to go to sleep. Before he placed his head down on the bed, he reached out and grabbed May's hand as she had with his so many times before.

Ash only had one thought on his mind before sleep finally claimed him.

" _She was right. This is comfortable."_

May's eyes fluttered open for what would be the final time in this hospital. She found herself leaving the state between being asleep and awake much faster than she had the past two weeks. When she finally opened her eyes, she felt rejuvenated, like she'd gotten the best sleep she'd had in a while.

Though her eyes opening also caused a question to pop into her head. Why was she looking at the ceiling?

No matter how good she felt, her mind was still in the process of waking up, which was aiding her confusion. May then realized that she was laying horizontally, and her head was lifted on a pillow. And what she was laying on was much too comfortable to be one of the cots...

It was a few seconds before May realized that she was sleeping on a bed. A real bed. And the only real bed in the room was the one Ash was supposed to be in.

Still feeling confused, May looked to her right, seeing Ash slouched over in the chair she was supposed to be sleeping in, still sleeping peacefully. Her gaze then shifted to where their hands were interconnected, which caused her to smile.

As she continued waking up, she started to remember the events of the night before that'd led her to this point. She remembered becoming overcome with emotion and embracing Ash in a deep hug, even letting a few tears out whilst doing so. She reveled in the things she felt the night before, just the thought alone bringing back the complete joy and comfort that'd totally encompassed her.

May then realized that she must've fallen asleep in Ash's embrace and he had moved so that she could take the bed.

May was slightly upset with Ash and considered scolding him when he awoke due to what he'd done. But in reality, she was touched that Ash was willing to give up his bed, his _hospital_ bed for her. Just the thought made her warm inside. She couldn't bring herself to actually be upset about this

" _Ash really is too nice for his own good..."_ May thought to herself. If she'd been awake, there would've been no way she would've allowed Ash to sleep anywhere but on the bed he was assigned to.

"He sure is stubborn..." May turned her gaze from Ash to look at Brock, the source of the voice. She also noticed Delia was standing beside the man. It appeared that the two had been a wake for a while.

"Even when it's a hospital bed, he won't ever let someone sleep anywhere but the best spot if he can help it." Brock continued, smiling at his friends nature.

"That's probably my fault." Delia started, sighing at her son while also being very proud of him. "I'm the one that taught him to always give up the bed if there weren't enough for everyone. I just thought he would know that he didn't have to do that when he was in the hospital..."

The young mother's words caused everyone to laugh. It seemed that Ash took his mother's teaching a little too close to heart.

"I know that you didn't let him have the bed. So how did this come about?" Brock inquired. From what Brock could tell, May was just a stubborn as Ash and there was no way she would've allowed him to sleep anywhere but the bed, even if he was feeling almost 100% again.

May blushed bright red at the question. She hadn't really expected them to ask, so she hadn't even thought of a formidable response. She really didn't want to reveal the truth as it was a bit embarrassing, but she couldn't think of anything to say.

Quickly, she formulated a response. "I-I...must've fallen asleep and he just decided to pick me up and switch places with me. You know how Ash is...when he gets something in his head, there's no stopping him."

May hoped this response was good enough. Her statement about Ash was true, and it could've made sense, she hoped. The only problem was the massive blush that refused to leave her face.

Luckily for May, even though both Brock and Delia could see her flushed face and could easily tell she wasn't giving them the real story, they decided to just let it go. The circumstance really didn't matter all that much anyway. Though based on her reaction, they assumed it must've been something personal and a bit embarrassing.

Brock smiled at the girl, pretending to accept the story while Delia giggled, letting it known that she knew May wasn't telling the truth, but was letting it go for her sake. It was more fun for the woman to make up what might've happened in her head anyway...

It was at this time that Ash began to stir awake. The others had made sure not to talk too loud, so Ash was more than likely awakening simply due to his internal clock.

Ash found himself waking up much quicker than he had on the other days as he knew this would be the last morning he would have to spend here. When he awoke completely, he took notice of May, Brock and his mother all awake in front of him, the former giving him an angry look.

"Ash Ketchum, why did you make me sleep in the hospital bed?!" May started, deciding she was going to scold the man. "You know you need the rest more than I do!"

May wasn't actually angry, she just wanted to let him know that what he did really wasn't necessary. Though, she really couldn't help but appreciate what he did for her...

Ash smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, May. I just thought since it was our last night here, you should be extra comfortable. You know, have a night where you could get a perfect nights sleep."

The anger, which May was forcing on her face anyway, faded immediately after Ash finished speaking; she did feel incredibly well rested. Instead, it was replaced by a warm smile. May then giggled and shook her head.

"You really are stubborn, you know that, right?" May teased, causing Ash to chuckle.

"I thought we already established this. We _both_ are." Ash retorted, causing both parties to laugh once more.

"Thanks, Ash." May told the man in front of her, who responded with a toothless smile and a nod of the head.

"Well Ash, are you ready to get out of here?" Brock questioned his friend, who beamed at the question.

"Hell yeah! Finally, I get to spread my wings a little." Ash's enthusiasm seemed a bit over the top to the three others in the room, and Ash realized this. "What? You guys know how much I hate staying in one place for too long."

"Trust me, we know." Delia said back to her son, causing them all to share another laugh.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" May questioned. There were a few things they had to do before they would leave the hospital, so she was curious as to where they would start.

Hearing May's questions, Brock decided to come up with a plan on the spot. "Well...before we leave we should call Professor Birch and see if he wants us to walk to his house, or if he'll just pick us up. We also have to find Doctor Miller and say our goodbyes."

Everyone nodded their heads, accepting the plan. With that being said, everyone stood up and gathered their things. Now that it was finally time to leave, it was crazy for them to think that this hospital had been their home for nearly two weeks. And while the stay bring about a good amount of positive moments, they all hoped they'd never have to be back in the hospital again.

"Do you have everything?" Delia made sure to questioned the younger members of the group, her motherly side showing through.

Delia earned words of affirmation from Brock and May, but Ash had something else he'd forgotten to do.

"Oh, before we leave I want to change out of these shorts. I'll be right back, I'm gonna go into the bathroom and put my traveling pants on." Ash told the group as he entered the bathroom and closed the door. It wasn't even 30 seconds before Ash returned, redressed in his preferred traveling attire.

"Alright, let's head out." Ash spoke jovially, causing everyone to start their march out of the room.

Though after taking just a few steps out the door of the room, the four people and the two pokemon came across the man they were looking for, Doctor Miller.

"Oh, perfect! I had a bit of a break, so I decided to come say my goodbyes now; I'm going to be pretty swamped the rest of the day." Doctor Miller explained.

"We were just about to come looking for you. Good thing we caught each other." Delia said to the man, earning a nod of the head in response.

Doctor Miller locked eyes with Ash and shot out his hand for a shake. Seeing this, Ash took it happily and did just that.

"Ash, your case is one of the craziest things I've witnessed in all of my 25 years in medicine. But even though I don't know how it happened, I'm very glad that everything worked out for you in the end. It was an honor and a privilege to work on a man like yourself." Doctor Miller spoke kindly, causing Ash, along with the others, to smile with gratitude.

"Doc, thank you for helping to save my life. Miracle or not, I'm confident that I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you and your team of doctors and nurses. I appreciate all you did for me, as well as my friends and family who were with me. You made this stay comfortable for all of us." Ash responded with great appreciation evident in his voice.

The two had long since stopped shaking hands when Doctor Miller addressed the rest of the group. "You all are very good people, staying with him through his difficult time. I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of you. I'm happy I was able to help you all." The doctor said earning more smiles and words of thanks from the others.

Withe everything said and done, Doctor Miller was going to take his leave. But not before he said one last thing.

"Goodbye." Doctor Miller addressed them as a whole before focusing in solely on Ash. "And please...don't come back."

Everyone laughed at the doctor's joke.

"I certainly hope I won't have to. Goodbye, doc." Ash stated, giving the man another handshake.

Though as the doctor began walking off, he remembered a question he had to ask him. "Doc wait!" Doctor Miller stopped his stride and turned around. "What about the stitches in my back?"

the doctor simply smiled before responding. "They're dissolvable. There's no need to physically remove them. They should be gone in a week or two."

Ash nodded his head, accepting the doctor's words before he walked off, turning a corner and leaving their line of sight.

With Doctor Miller gone, Ash turned back around, ready to get a move on. "Alright. Let's go give Professor Birch a call and get out of here!"

No one responded with words, instead they all simply walked until they were back in the waiting room. Once they arrived, Brock turned to address the group.

"I'll go call Professor Birch. You three make sure there's nothing else we have to do before we leave at the front desk." Brock told his three friends, earning nods of acceptance.

Delia, May, Ash and the two pokemon did as Brock had said and made their way to what would be considered the lonny; the area that housed the doors to both the general unit and the intensive care unit.

Before anyone could begin to move toward the desk to talk to a receptionist, they were stopped as a woman in scrubs blocked their path.

Both Delia and May immediately recognized the woman, but Ash had no idea who this person was in front of him. She was a very pretty blonde girl, with blue eyes and a semi-short build and Ash assumed she was more than likely a nurse as the color of her scrubs matched that of the other nurses he'd seen around the hospital. And as much as May hated to admit it, this woman looked good, even in scrubs.

Despite the woman being in front of all three members of their group, she was only looking at Ash. May's felt a pang of jealousy flow through her body as she recognized the woman as the nurse who'd asked about Ash's age awhile back. Delia simply watched the scene, curious as to see how it would unfold.

"Ah, Mr. Ketchum, it's so wonderful to see you up and moving around! Are you leaving already?" The woman spoke politely.

Ash, trying to be polite, responded kindly. "Um, yes we are about to leave. And please, just call me Ash. And excuse me if this is rude but, do I know you?"

The nurse's smile became brighter as she took in Ash's words. "Oh I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm one of the nurses who helped out with you during the week you were unconscious. My name is Bella."

Now that he had an idea as to who this person was, Ash let a genuine smile cross his face. "Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you, Bella. And thank you for helping me out while I was comatose."

"No thanks are necessary, Ash. I was just doing my job." Bella spoke very sweetly.

May's jealousy was becoming greater by the second, though she was doing well to hide it. She knew an outburst would surely raise questions from Ash, and she didn't want that. Delia simply continued watching the scene, still very much curious as to what was going to happen.

"So, is there something I can help you with? We were just heading up to the front desk to see if there was anything else we need to do before I can leave." Ash explained to the woman, hoping to not offend her in any way.

Luckily for him, the smile never left her face, indicating she took no offense to what he'd said whatsoever.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry for bothering you. In all honesty, I just...wanted to meet you, and shake your hand. I mean, you beat some pretty incredible odds. Plus, I heard that you actually won a pokemon league. I've never met anyone who's accomplished something like that, and I think that's so cool!" Bella spoke excitedly, though with a bit of timidness in her voice as her face went just slightly pink.

Ash smiled brightly at the woman's kind words. "You're not bothering us at all, so don't even worry about it. I was just wondering if there was anything that we could help you with. But thank you, I really appreciate your kind words, and I'd be happy to shake your hand. You did help me out while I was here, after all. I owe my life to you and the other nurses and doctors who helped me these past couple of weeks."

With that said, Ash stuck out his hand, which Bella grasped with both hands to shake. It wasn't long before the woman pulled away, her face very red for some reason.

Quickly, Bella looked at Ash, though not at his eyes, and spoke quickly before rushing of. "Um...T-Thank you. Have a good rest of your day."

Delia and May watched in confusion as the woman rushed hurriedly out of sight. They then brought their eyes back to Ash, whom was looking at his hand for some reason.

"What is it, sweetie?" Delia asked as both herself and May approached Ash closer to see what he was looking at.

In Ash's hand was a small piece of paper. Written on it was Bella's first and last name, as well as a phone number which was obviously hers. The final words on the note read, 'call me'.

Just as May's jealousy had started to fade away, she had to see this. She was still trying her best to hide it, but Delia noticed that she was having a difficult time doing so. Not wanting May to feel this way any longer, Delia decided to try to fix the issue.

"I guess she gave me her phone number..." Ash rationalized. For as dense as he was, he wasn't stupid. He knew what this meant. It meant that this woman was into him, attracted to him, and wanted a chance to be with him. Ash's words served to make May even more upset.

"Here, why don't I hold on to that for you..." Delia said, as more of statement than a question. Ash handed the note over immediately.

"You can just throw it away if you want, but don't do it here. I don't mean to be rude and I'm flattered, but I'm simply not interested." Ash explained to his mother. He felt bad for saying this, but this was what he was feeling, and there was no fighting that.

As Ash spoke, a wave of relief washed over May, causing her to let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. She was extremely happy with Ash's reaction to the note. If he would've kept it, she might not have been able to keep quiet any longer.

"Do you guys remember her from last week?" Ash questioned.

"Remember the nurse we told you about that asked for your age?" Delia asked, earning a nod from her son. "Well that was her."

"Bitch..." May mumbled quietly. Only Delia had been able to make out what she'd said, causing her to giggle. Ash on the other hand, only heard mumbling.

"What did you say, May?" Ash questioned innocently.

The brunette reacted by smiling innocently. "Nothing."

Ash simply accepted that it must've just been a cough or something that he'd heard from her. At this moment, Ash realized something that made him go red, which both May and Delia noticed.

"Oh, man..." Ash groaned. "That means she was one of the nurses who gave me sponge baths. She saw me almost completely naked."

Now that she knew Ash wasn't interested in the nurse, May found the situation pretty funny. "Ash...I'm pretty sure that's the reason she was into you in the first place."

Ash didn't respond verbally, he simply dropped his head, causing May and his mother to laugh. May then decided to tease Ash just a bit more.

"And if you don't want to be bathed by strangers, don't go falling off a cliff. It's pretty simple, really." May teased, causing Delia to laugh and Ash to smirk.

"Hey, just be glad that I managed to get you back on the cliff. Otherwise, it would've been _you_ getting sponge baths from strangers!" Ash joked back, causing the brunette and his mother to laugh once again.

May curtsied teasingly and put on a fake regal accent. "Oh thank you my knight for saving me from such awkwardness."

The banter caused everyone to continue laughing for a while longer before they finally composed themselves and approached the front desk of the hospital.

They immediately asked if there was anything else Ash would have to do before he could leave, only to receive the answer they were hoping for. The receptionist informed them that they received his discharge papers the night before and that he was free to go at any time.

By the time they were informed of the good news, Brock had returned from the phones, a content grin on his face.

"Professor Birch said we should walk over to his house. Apparently it's close, and he said he'd have breakfast ready for us when we got there." Brock informed the group.

Ash and May's eyes widened as their ears perked up when they heard the mention of food. Pikachu was also excited that he may be getting some ketchup. Torchic would've been reacting similarly, but she'd requested some time in her pokeball to rest.

"Well? What're we waiting for?" Ash asked rhetorically before himself and May began walking ahead of Brock and Delia, who chuckled at the two's excitement.

As they started walking, Brock leaned in to whisper to Delia. "You think the professor made enough food?"

Delia chuckled at the question before shaking her head. "Not a chance..."

With that said, the gang continued their walk to the professor's house. Even thought they'd gotten ahead of Brock and Delia at first, Ash and May were waiting for them at the front doors of the hospital.

The four people, plus Pikachu, then followed Brock's lead as he remembered the directions Professor Birch had given him over the phone.

During the walk, Delia and May decided to tell Brock what'd transpired in the lobby while he was calling Professor Birch. The story mad Brock laugh but also at one point, sigh in what had to be jealousy.

"Why do you have all the luck, Ash...?" Brock questioned with sadness. Though, it was clear to tell he was being hyperbolic, with just a hint of truth thrown in.

May and Delia laughed at the question before the raven haired trainer raised an eyebrow and looked at Brock incredulously. "I don't know what kind of 'luck' you think I have. I literally just fell off of a cliff and died...or did you forget about that?"

"Oh, yeah. Right..." Brock responded plainly, causing another round of laughter. "I should've rephrased that. Why do you get all the luck with women?"

Seeing that Brock seemed to be genuinely curious, Ash simply shrugged his shoulders. He honestly had no idea why girls seemed to be interested in him. "I have no idea, Brock. It's as much a mystery to me as it is to you."

"Well, working out literally everyday certainly doesn't hurt, I'm sure." Delia added teasingly, despite it being true. When Ash was still living at home, his training regiment was extreme, and she knew that it had only increased in intensity over time. Obviously, being in shaped helped with the ladies.

"Plus it helps that you're kind, determined, selfless, and have an awesome personality." May added, becoming more comfortable with complimenting Ash.

After she spoke, she met Ash's gaze as he shot her an appreciative smile, both of them slightly red in the face.

"Huh, I guess...I guess I'll have to work on that then..." Brock said, sounding defeated. He hadn't really been expecting a real answer, so what he got was quite a shock and it made him feel slightly self conscious.

Though, he quickly managed to laugh it off along with the others. It wasn't even 10 minutes of walking before they reached the professor's house; he was right, it was fairly close to the hospital.

Brock approached the door first and rang the doorbell. It wasn't 10 seconds before the door was opened, allowing Professor Birch to come into view. He welcomed everyone with a smile, but the four people in front of him seemed only focused on his torso.

"Umm, Professor Birch? What are you wearing?" May could stop herself from letting out a few chuckles as she spoke.

The professor looked down, noticing what they were laughing at. He was wearing a pink, frilly cooking apron. He mentally scolded himself for forgetting to take it off before answering the door as the four people in front of him, along with Pikachu laughed.

"It was the only one the store had when I went to buy it! I just haven't gotten around to getting a new one!" Birch defended himself. Though, he wasn't mad at all. He knew how to roll with the punches, how to take a joke.

"I see how it is. I guess you guys don't want breakfast..." Birch taunted, causing May and Ash to shut up instantly, their eyes wide in fear.

"We're sorry, Professor." May apologized as quickly as she could.

"Yeah, we didn't mean anything by it. It-It looks great...on you!" Ash had a hard time pretending to compliment the god awful apron, but was incredibly afraid of his meal being taken from him.

Upon seeing their reactions, Professor Birch let out a hearty laugh. "I was only kidding, you two. Please, come in. The last of the food should be done in just a minute."

Both Ash and May showed an immense amount of relief on their faces as they quickly entered the house, allowing the wonderful smell of breakfast foods to lead them to the kitchen.

When they arrived, they first noticed Mightyena and her cubs eating some pokemon food. When they heard the others enter, the dark pokemon paused their meals and happily greeted the new arrivals.

"I'm glad to see they're still doing well." Brock mentioned to Birch, whom nodded in response.

"Yeah, they've already adapted to living here. And I really like having them around." Professor Birch added happily.

After greeting the pokemon, everyone's eyes fell on the food that was placed on the professor's large kitchen table. Like the morning in the hospital, there was practically every kind of breakfast food anyone could imagine. And quite a lot of it as well. It appeared that Delia was wrong, the Professor did have enough food, it seemed. Though with May and Ash, she wasn't sure if there would ever be enough food...

"Professor, you really didn't have to make this much. Me and Ash know how to get by without eating like we want to." May said to the professor, with Ash nodding his head in agreement.

Professor Birch simply smiled brightly at the two. "It was no trouble at all! I haven't cooked a large meal like this in a long time and I love cooking. I truly enjoyed making it!"

"Well, thank you, Professor Birch." Ash voiced his appreciation toward the man this time, with May being the one to nod in agreement. Ash noticed a couple of bottles of ketchup on the table, one of which he grabbed and handed to Pikachu, who's eyes lit up as he began sucking down the red liquid.

May also let Torchic out, as it seemed Professor Birch had set up a bowl of pokemon food for both her and Pikachu. Not wanting Torchic to become jealous at the fact that Pikachu had Ketchup, May took another of the bottles of the red stuff and squirted it on top of her pokemon food before Torchic began eating it jovially.

"Well, we better eat before the food gets cold. And then we need to head out!" Professor Birch stated. As everyone was hungry, no one needed to be told twice as they all grabbed as much food as they wanted and dug in.

The food was absolutely delicious, and most everyone, Ash and May especially, voiced their opinions about it being as such.

With this being Birch's first time seeing May and Ash eat, he was incredibly surprised. He'd been told about their eating prowess by Brock and Delia, but this was so much more than he expected.

Somehow, both Ash and May managed to finish their food at around the same time once again.

Ash shot a competitive glare toward May. "We'll settle this one day, Maple."

May returned the look, but added a smirk. "Oh yes we will, Ketchum. Yes we will."

The two then giggled at each other before they focused back on the other conversation happening at the table

The breakfast only ended up taking about half an hour to complete, which was done purposely as to give them plenty of time to get to where they needed to be.

The gang said their goodbyes to the dark pokemon, knowing they probably wouldn't see each other again for a long while. While this was a sad thought, they all knew that they would see each other again; they all had plans of visiting Professor Birch ever y time they were in Littleroot Town.

With those goodbyes said, the gang pilled into Professor Birch's jeep. It was a bit of a tight fit, but they made it work. Delia tok the front seat, while Ash and Brock took the back window seat, with May being in the middle of them.

"Alright. First stop, Petalburgh City Gym!" The professor exclaimed before slamming his foot down on the gas pedal and speeding off.

While he wasn't driving nearly as fast or as recklessly as he had when he was trying to get Ash to the hospital, the ride was still quite bumpy and he was definitely going above the speed limit. Despite this, everyone enjoyed the ride tremendously as the weather was nice, and the cool breeze hitting their faces through the open top of the vehicle was incredibly refreshing.

Having walked the path they were driving a few times before, May was amazed when she realized how close they already were to Petalburgh.

"Driving sure is a lot faster than walking." May mentioned offhandedly.

Ash smiled toothlessly at the comment as he though of something he wanted to explain to her.

"That may be true, but walking is definitely the better way to travel in my opinion." Ash paused and looked at May, who was staring at him slightly confused. "When you're driving, you don't get a chance to take anything in. Half the fun of a journey is just that...the journey. And that's extra true with what you want to do."

May smiled at Ash's explanation, knowing he was correct. While driving would get people around much faster, it would also ruin the fun of a journey. Plus, hardly anyone in the pokemon world had a car; driving was a pretty rare thing here.

It wasn't another 2 minutes before they entered Petalburgh City. And once they did, it wasn't much longer before the gym came into view. Ash smiled in childlike wonder as he looked at the half gym, half house. It was much bigger than most gyms, which was to be expected as it also doubled as a living space.

Seeing the look of amazement on Ash's face made May smile warmly. Seeing such excitement, such wonder in Ash's expression made May feel similarly. Ash's personality was so refreshing to her.

It wasn't but a few more seconds before the jeep came to a stop in front of the gym. After Professor Birch put the vehicle in park, everyone, even the people who wouldn't be staying here, exited.

"Thank you, Professor Birch. For everything." Ash said with great appreciation as he extended his hand for a shake. Though, Professor Birch ignored the outstretched hand and instead pulled Ash into a hug.

Ash happily accepted and pulled back a few moments later. Brock then said his thanks and goodbyes, ending up in a similar situation Ash had. It was then that May approached the man.

"I can't thank you enough, Professor. You helped get me through what ended up being one of the most difficult times of my life. And you're a big part of the reason that Ash survived. I seriously can't thank you enough for that." When May finished speaking, she rushed forward and hugged the man tightly. They separated just a few moments later.

Just a few feet away, Brock had just finished saying her goodbyes to Delia when Ash approached her.

"Thanks for coming, Mom. And thanks for being there for May, along with Brock. I know you all were having a hard time with everything, but you managed to help each other out." Ash spoke gratefully, earning a sweet smile from his mother.

"Of course, Ash. And you're very right about the fact that we all helped each other. Both Brock and May really helped me through this whole process, and I know I did the same for them. I'm so grateful that you have such incredible friends." Delia told her son, earning a smile and a nod. "And watch out for May, alright? She's such a sweet girl, and I don't want her getting hurt."

Ash's toothless smile widened as he processed his mother's request. "Of course, Mom. I'd never let her be hurt. Not while I'm around."

The two family embers then pulled each other into a deep hug, with Delia having a few tears come to her eyes. Though, she forced them back as she didn't want to make Ash worry. She wanted nothing more than for Ash to be happy, to pursue his dream, and she didn't want him to be worrying about her while doing so. Even if she did get lonely every once in a while, Ash's happiness truly was her own.

"I love you, Ash." Delia spoke with a loving, motherly tone.

"I love you too, Mom." Ash responded while still in the embrace.

When the two pulled away, Delia turned stern momentarily. "And you better not forget to call me, young man!"

Ash couldn't help but chuckle a this mother's action and words. "Don't worry, I won't. I swear it."

With that said, Ash walked over to Brock, away from his mother in order to allow May, who'd come up beside them during their embrace, to say goodbye to his mother. The two had obviously become fairly close during their stay at the hospital, so Ash wanted them to have a proper goodbye. Or rather, a proper 'see you later'.

"Delia...Thank you so much for all that you've done for me. Without you and Brock...I don't know how I would've made it through this. Even when it was your son who was injured, you still made an effort to make sure that I was alright. I appreciate that more than you will ever know, Delia. You're a wonderful woman and an even better mother." May finished sincerely, earning a loving smile from the young mother.

"Oh May, I have to thank you as well. Despite what I put on, I was worried sick about Ash. But you and Brock helped me see that he was going to be okay, even when things were at their darkest. I'm so incredibly thankful that my Ash was able to meet you. You're the kind of person every mother dreams their child will meet." Delia paused, allowing May to absorb her truthful words. "You've already made a big impact on him. I've never seen Ash as happy as he is when he's around you. Romantically or not, I'm just happy that you two have each other."

Delia's own words managed to bring a tear to her eye. May didn't know how to respond, so she simply shot forward and captured the woman in a hug.

While in the embrace, Delia whispered in May's ear. "Please take care of my Ash. He may be strong, but even he needs help sometimes. Don't let him forget that."

"I won't...I swear it." May whispered in response, using one of Ash's lines, which caused them both to smile. The two then broke apart and sent each other one more smile.

"I'll see you later, Delia. Have a safe trip home." May told the young mother.

"Goodbye, May! Have lots of fun on your journey!" Delia responded. With that being said, May turned around and began walking to where Ash and Brock were standing close to the entrance to her home.

But when she got about halfway, Delia got an idea in her head. As was said before...

...even she liked to have some fun every once in a while.

"Oh, and May?" Delia shouted, causing the brunette to turn around, and drawing everyone's attention to her. Delia looked May in the eye and smiled. "You have my blessing!"

Delia shot a wink at May as a blush covered the brunette's face. The young mother then approached the passenger's side door and entered the car, followed closely by Professor Birch getting behind the wheel; they couldn't stay as Delia had to make a certain time in order to be able to get on the ferry back to Kanto.

"Bye!" Both Delia and Professor Birch shouted as they began to drive off, earning waves from Brock and Ash. However, May was just now breaking out of her shock.

When she was fully sentient once again, May couldn't help but smile ad shake her head. She knew Delia wouldn't have said that if she'd though Ash would know what she was talking about, so she wasn't too worried.

Plus, she couldn't help but feel joyous at the fact that should a romantic relationship ever come about between herself and Ash, that his mother supported it 100%.

With this happy thought in mind, May forced the blush off of her face and walked the rest of the way to Ash and Brock. Brock was standing with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face, while Ash was very obviously confused.

"What did she mean by 'you have my blessing?'" Ash questioned, having no idea what his mother was talking about. May simply giggled as she walked toward the door, pulling it open.

Brock put a hand on his slightly taller friend's shoulder as he stood behind him. "Nothing important, Ash. I wouldn't worry about it."

Upon hearing Brock's words, Ash decided it was best not to dwell on it. Plus if Brock said it wasn't a big deal, then it more than likely wasn't. Ash then followed May as the two entered her home.

Brock waited back for just a moment as he let out a breath, as smile on his face while he shook his head. "Oh, Ash...You've still got a lot to learn. And I think May's the perfect person to help you do that..."

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so there's something I'd like to address here and now just to avoid any confusion. In the first chapter, I mentioned that I already have 200,000 words of this story done, which is true. That being said, these 200,000 words are all BEFORE THEY START THEIR JOURNEY. I just don't want anybody to think that I have this whole thing completed, because I don't. This story will probably reach over 1,000,000 words when it's all said and done but for right now, I have around 200,000 words written. The very end of this 200,000 words will leave off just before they all leave on the journey. The actually journey section will be written in the future, along with my other stories. I just don't want anybody getting confused and thinking that I already have the entire journey written because I don't. That being said, it _will be completed._ And I write every time I can and will always try my best to get periodic updates out to you once the journey portion of the story starts. I hope this clears up any misconceptions you all might've had. **

**On another note, the gang is finally out of the hospital! I know most of you were eagerly waiting for that to happen. And now, they start their few day stay at the Maple household, what will that entail? Will Norman be accepting of Brock and Ash? They are still boys after all, and he holds an immense distrust toward them because he's so worried about May. But I will say, Ash's first meeting with Caroline and Norman is one of my favorite parts of the story. Please leave a review if you could, and make sure to follow and favorite if you haven't already! See ya!**


	11. Family

How to Change a Life

Ash, May and Brock then made their way into the household; there were two entrances to the building, a private one for entering the home, and a public one for entering the gym. The gang had used the former.

May stopped almost immediately after entering the home, causing Ash and Brock to do the same.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home! Brock and Ash are with me!" May yelled loudly, hoping to gain the attention of her family.

Just a few moments later, both Norman and Caroline entered the foyer where the three friends were currently stationed, bright smiles adorning their faces.

Caroline rushed forward immediately and wrapped her daughter up in an embrace. "It's so good to see you, honey."

May returned the hug and smiled. "It's good to see you too, Mom."

Once they released, a similar embrace happened between father and daughter. After they broke apart, May stepped slightly to the side and motioned toward Brock and Ash, causing her parents' gazes to fall on the two men.

"Mom. Dad. I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Brock Harrison. And this...this is Ash Ketchum." As May introduced each man to her parents, she pointed to them as to inform them of exactly who was who, despite them more than likely knowing after seeing both Ash and Brock, who'd been shown a few times during the Indigo League, on TV.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. You have a lovely ho-"

While trying to make his introduction, he was cut off by Caroline when she bolted forward and captured him in an hug. Ash was more than surprised by the action, but returned the hug as soon as he got over the shock.

"Thank you so much... Thank you for saving our daughter. Thank you for saving May." Caroline spoke gratefully while still in the embrace.

It was clear to those around him that Ash was still very much surprised by what was happening. He didn't really know how to respond, but he felt that he had to.

"Umm...you're welcome. I-I was happy to do it." Ash spoke with an uncharacteristic amount of timidness in his voice as he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say.

The mother kept hold of Ash for a few more moments before she pulled back. After she did this, she put her hands on the taller man's shoulders and looked up into his eyes. Ash could see the beginnings of tears had formed in the woman's eyes, very obviously caused by her immense appreciation.

"Handsome young thing, aren't you?" Caroline questioned rhetorically to the man after giving him a once over. Ash still had no idea how he was supposed to respond to what was happening.

Ash simply held the shocked, slightly embarrassed look on his face as this encounter continued. May was giggling at the scene, deciding she should say something.

"You should probably tone it down a bit, mom. I think you might've scared him." May teased, causing her mother to bring her hands off of Ash's shoulders and take step back, smiling at her daughter.

May's words finally allowed Ash to break out of his trance like state. He then smiled sheepishly whilst rubbing the back of his head.

"I-I'm sorry. I was just a bit surprised is all." Ash explained himself, earning chuckles from everyone in the room.

"Oh don't worry about it, dear. I might have been a bit too forward, but I just really wanted you to know how thankful I am for what you did for our May." Caroline responded, letting Ash know where she was coming from.

The woman's explanation made Ash smile and nod his head appreciatively.

"Let me try this again. Welcome to our home, Ash, Brock. My name is Caroline, I'm May's mother. It truly is a pleasure to meet you. And once again Ash, thank you for what you did." Caroline started over, extending her hand. Seeing this, Ash took her hand and shook it gingerly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Maple. Thank you for allowing myself and Brock to stay here for a few days. We both really appreciate it." Ash told the woman of his gratitude, earning a sincere smile from the woman.

"Oh, no thanks are necessary. It's quite literally the least we can do after all you've done for May." Caroline responded. "Oh and please, just call me Caroline. And you may call Norman over there by his first name as well."

Hearing her reference May's father, Ash's gaze went his way. The man currently had a neutral look on his face, but Ash could clearly see how he could be more intimidating should he choose to be. Ash just hoped to remain in his good graces. And as for right now, even despite what May had told him, he couldn't tell what the man thought of him

Norman approached Ash as Caroline went over to more properly introduce herself to Brock. Seeing the man approaching, Ash smiled warmly, but toothlessly, hoping to earn at least a grin in response. Instead of this however, the neutral look remained on his face, his arms crossed over his chest, even as he walked.

"Ash Ketchum..." Norman started as he approached the man in front of him. May watched on carefully, making sure her dad was on his best behavior. She didn't like how he was acting and was becoming slightly worried. "Youngest ever winner of a pokemon League, and the man who saved my daughter's life."

Ash didn't respond verbally. Instead, he simply stood tall and looked the man in the eye, not allowing himself to falter. After a few moments of uncomfortable eye contact, Norman finally let out the warm smile Ash had been hoping to see.

Norman stuck out his hand for a shake before he began speaking, which Ash accepted. "It's very nice to meet you, Ash. And like Caroline said, we can't thank you enough for what you did for our daughter. What you did was very noble and brave, and I have a lot of respect for you for it, especially since it was all to save our May."

Norman was happy to see that Ash hadn't faltered in the slightest when he put on his 'scary dad' look. It showed that he wasn't afraid, but still held an appropriate level of respect.

"It's nice to meet you too, sir, er...Norman." Ash corrected himself, causing Norman to chuckle. "And I just did what anyone would've done in that situation..."

Before Norman could respond in the negative, May beat him to it. "Don't even bother trying to tell him otherwise, Dad. He's way too modest for his own good."

Upon hearing May's words, Norman let out a chuckle while Ash simply smiled sheepishly, something he found himself doing a lot more often lately.

Norman then made his way over to Brock in order to quickly introduce himself. Pikachu also happily greeted everyone, with Norman complimenting the pokemon on his tremendous strength, causing a proud look to overcome his features at the praise. After this was completed, Caroline appeared ready to address the new arrivals once again.

"Welcome to our home! Like I said, we're more than happy to have you here. And while you're hear, our house is your house!" Caroline addressed Ash and Brock jovially, happy to open up her home to May's friends.

"I know I speak for the both of us when I say that we very much appreciate it. From what I can tell from not having seen all of it as of yet, you have a lovely home." Brock spoke, directing his words toward Caroline specifically.

"And the fact that it's also this city's gym is so awesome! I've never seen anything like it!" Ash exclaimed with enthusiasm, causing Norman and May to chortle at his over the top excitement.

Norman remembered being like this when anything even slightly concerning pokemon would come up when he was younger. The amount of enthusiasm Ash showed for anything that had to do with battling proved his undying love for training pokemon. Norman had a feeling he was going to like this kid, and even he knew that was really saying something...

"I got the idea quite a long time ago. And as soon as I got the go ahead from the league, I decided to build my dream house." Norman revealed before spreading his arms out. "And this is it."

Ash was in awe over the home. Even by just the foyer alone, he could tell how large it was. It wasn't ridiculously so, but it was surely much bigger than his own house.

"Come on, let's go to the kitchen. I'll get you guys a drink." Caroline offered before everyone graciously accepted and followed her lead.

As they walked deeper into the house, Ash was becoming more and more amazed by it. He was walking directly next to May, which was perfect as he could address her.

"Wow, May. Your house is huge." Ash mentioned, causing May to giggle. Because of the volume he'd spoken at, Norman had heard what the man had said as well, causing him to retort.

"You know Ash, you keep winning pokemon leagues and soon, you'll have enough money to buy a house three times this size. And that's if you don't beat the elite 4 and champion." Norman told the young man. His statement was very much true as winners of pokemon leagues always received a pretty hefty some of prize money.

Ash rubbed the back of his head as they continued walking. "Oh, I'm not really one for those kinds of things. Plus, I probably won't even think about settling down for a long while. I'm not exactly good at staying in one place for too long."

The older man accepted the answer as they all kept on walking. Though as the topic of prize money had come up, May was beginning to wonder what Ash had done with his winnings. From the limited amount of knowledge she had on the subject, she did know that winners of pokemon leagues always received quite a lot of money for their victory.

"Hey, Ash?" May started, gaining the raven haired trainer's attention. "If you don't mind me asking, what did you end up doing with the prize money you got from winning the Indigo League? I mean, I'm sure it was a sizable amount."

Ash smiled as he thought of how to answer. "Well, I made sure my mom had everything she needed at home, and got her some things she'd wanted for a long time, but I hardly spent any money on that; my mom's pretty simple when it comes to luxury items, just like I am. But it felt really great to do a bit to repay her for all she's done for me."

Everyone smiled softly at the man's words. Caroline and Norman especially were happy to hear what Ash'd said. Like the saying goes, a man's character can be judged by how they treat their mother. After everything May had told them about the man, they didn't really have any doubts about Ash's character, but this was reassuring none the less.

"But the rest of it went straight into the bank. Like I said, I'm a pretty simple guy; there's not much out there that I want. The only things I really spend money on are food for both myself and my pokemon, and items like potions and revives. I'll also purchase gifts for special occasions here and there, but that doesn't come up too often." Ash finished, explaining how he handled his money.

This earned a nod of acceptance from Norman. "That's the way to do it. Money can be a tricky thing. It's always good to save."

Ash nodded in agreement, thought the man he was responding to was walking ahead of him, so he wouldn't be able to see.

By the time they'd finished speaking, the group had reached the kitchen. They were prompted by Caroline to take a seat at the table, which everyone did happily. As the others got comfortable in their seats, Caroline approached the refrigerator.

"So what can I get for you guys? Soda, Juice..." Caroline questioned, happy to get them anything they wanted.

"Water for me please." Ash responded. Because of how hard he trained his body, he needed to drink a lot of water daily. And now that he was doing better, Ash wanted nothing more than to get back into his normal training routine, and that included drinking at least a gallon of water a day.

Brock and May told the woman that they'd have the same, while Norman took up her offer of the soda. It was no time at all before Caroline placed everyone's drink in front of them before sitting down herself.

"Thank you, Caroline." Ash spoke appreciatively, earning an 'of course' in response.

Now that they were all seated together, May noticed that something was off. Someone was missing...

"Hey, where's Max?" May inquired, curious as to where her younger brother could be. She'd thought he'd be waiting anxiously at the door to meet Ash.

"Last I checked, he was up in his room, and that was just before you guys arrived." Norman revealed, pointing to Ash and Brock. "He said he'd be down in just a few minutes."

As if on cue, everyone heard the pitter patter of footsteps coming down the stairs before a boy of about 14 years old age appeared in the kitchen. He appeared to be very excited, and everyone could see that. May sighed preemptively, knowing her brother was going to go overboard.

Knowing that he was a fan of him, Ash stood from his chair and approached the boy. "Hey, you're Max, right? It's nice to meet you. I'm Ash Ketchum."

"I already know who you are! You're Ash Ketchum, youngest ever winner of a pokemon league. The man who proved that a Pikachu can go toe to toe with any opponent! Is that him?!" Max rambled on excitedly while pointing at the Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, causing his parents and Brock to laugh, while May just facepalmed, knowing it was only going to get worse from here.

Ash smiled at the young boy's excitement and nodded his head before looking to the pokemon on his shoulder. "Yep, this is my best buddy, Pikachu. Say hi to Max, pal."

"Pika!" Pikachu spoke happily whilst waving his paw. Max smiled and waved back before reaching up to pet Pikachu on the cheek.

"You sure do pack a lot of power into that small body of yours." Max mentioned to the pokemon, causing Pikachu to flex his muscles.

As Max pulled his hand back from Pikachu, his eyes widened as he realized something. "Do you have your Charizard with you?!"

Ash smiled toothlessly at the boy's question. Charizard was without a doubt his most powerful pokemon and along with Pikachu, had become a fan favorite during the Indigo League. Ash shook his head in the negative, causing Max's face to drop.

Seeing this, Ash wanted to cheer the boy up. "Hey, I may not have him on me right now, but he's just a phone call away. He's staying at Professor Oak's lab, along with all of my other pokemon. Sometime while I'm here, I'll head over to the Pokemon Center and have him transferred over to me so you can meet him!"

Max's eyes lit up as Ash spoke. The young boy's enthusiasm for pokemon reminded him of his own, and he was happy to see another person so impassioned about the thing he loved so much. At least for the moment, Ash didn't know what May was talking about when she'd warned him about Max being a bit much. Though, he did suppose that it could seem as such to someone who wasn't as passionate about pokemon as he was.

"Wow, that's gonna be so awesome! Your Charizard is so strong. And it's easy to see how much he respects you as his trainer." Max complimented the man, earning a smile from Ash.

"Yeah, he's a really awesome pokemon. We had some trouble early on, but he knows now that I'm more than just his trainer. I'm his friend as well. That's the biggest part of training pokemon in my opinion, building close relationships with your pokemon." Ash said wisely, causing everyone in the room to smile, and Norman to nod his head in agreement; this was something he tried to engrain in Max's head as often as he could.

"Right you are, Ash. A close bond is not only a reward in it of itself, but it also helps you to battle more effectively. When you're fighting cohesively as one entity, rather than being separated as trainer and pokemon, you're sure to better than you would do otherwise." Norman added.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Norman." Ash nodded at the man, earning a nod back in response before turning back to Max. "I owe everything to my pokemon. They're the ones that won the Indigo League, not me." Ash wanted to give his pokemon as much credit as possible.

Max nodded at the man in front of him before speaking once again. "It's easy to see the deep bonds you have with your pokemon. That definitely played a big part in your victory. If I've learned anything from my dad, it's that your bond with your pokemon should come before anything else."

Before anyone could even think to react to what Max had said, the young man with glasses decided to bring something else up.

"Oh, and Ash. While you handled the competition in the league pretty well, you got creamed by Lorelei, the first member of the Elite 4, correct?" Max questioned, which took Ash aback slightly at his lack of tact.

"Max! That's not how you bring something like that up!" May scolded her brother. This was exactly what she'd been afraid of. She was fuming at Max, but her anger flowed away immediately after she saw Ash start laughing with his hand up, indicating that he was fine with it.

"It's okay, May. He is right, after all. I did get creamed by Lorelei. Why do you ask?" Ash questioned back, not being offended by what Max had said.

"Well, I just have a few notes and strategies that I think could've possibly won you the match. Would you like to look at them?" Max revealed to the raven haired trainer with hope evident in his voice, causing Ash's eyes to widen in surprise.

Brock was surprised as well, but the other members of the Maple family, May included, simply chuckled at the youngest member of their clan.

"Max is a very smart kid. He's reading about pokemon virtually every second of the day. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he already knew more about pokemon than I do." Norman joked.

Ash appeared impressed by the boy's apparent intellectual prowess.

"You're such a geek, Max." May told to her brother, earning an angry glare from the boy.

"Am not!" Max retorted vehemently.

"Are too!" May responded, just as forcefully.

The two siblings went back and forth for a while longer, causing everyone to watch the scene in amusement. With him being an only child, these were the kind of silly fights Ash had always wished he'd been able to have. But because he wouldn't be able to do that with a sibling of his own, he was perfectly content just chuckling at May and Max's bickering.

"Alright! That's enough." Caroline commanded, though her tone was still light. It was obvious to both Brock and Ash that this wasn't a rare occurrence between the two. And it appeared that both Norman and Caroline knew that this was just friendly sibling bickering and nothing to really get mad about.

The two siblings shot each other one last glare before both returned back to holding the expressions they had before the fight. Now that the two had calmed down, Ash's mind returned to what he'd been asked by Max.

"Well Max, it sounds like you know a lot about pokemon. I'd be happy to hear what you have to say about my loss. I'm sure it'll be a big help. But later, okay? I'd kind of like to get acclimated here first." Ash responded kindly.

Though, he wasn't sure how big of a help Max' theories would be. He didn't doubt the boy's intellect, he simply knew that the main reason why he'd lost to Lorelei was due to pure overconfidence and rushing into the battle when he didn't have to. That being said, he could tell that Max was incredibly smart and he may have some useful strategies up his sleeve.

And knowing a positive response form him would make Max happy, he decided he would go along with it. With seeing how Max was, Ash was sure that they would be good friends once they got to know each other. And who knows, maybe he would learn something from the boy.

"Awesome! I'm gonna go make sure all of my notes are in order!" Max exclaimed before rushing out of the kitchen, heading up to his room. Ash chuckled once more at the boy's enthusiasm before he sat down at the kitchen table once again.

"Thanks for doing that for him. After he saw you in the Kanto League, he became quite a big fan of yours." Caroline addressed the trainer sitting across from her, next to May.

Ash simply waved off the thanks. "Please, no thanks are necessary. I'm always happy to see if I can learn something new that'll help me in the future. And he seems like a really bright kid. Plus, Max reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age."

"And how's that? Overly excitable and painfully annoying?" May teased, causing Ash to stick his tongue out at her, causing her and the others to chuckle.

"More the obsession with pokemon than anything. I can tell he's really passionate about pokemon training, and I've been the same way my whole life." Ash revealed to those around him. "Though, I can't say I was much of a reader, even about pokemon."

After Ash spoke, the group fell into what ended up being just a few moments of comfortable silence.

"May, why don't you give Brock and Ash a tour of the house?" Caroline questioned, earning a smile and a nod of approval from her daughter.

"Oh and before you go, I feel I should tell you that we only have one guest room. I'm terribly sorry about that..." Caroline apologized for the inconvenience this would cause.

Ash made sure to speak before Brock could say anything. "That's okay, Caroline. I'm more than happy on the couch."

Brock cursed himself for not being quicker on the draw; Ash was always the one to give up the bed. Though, Brock thought he had a trump card...

"Ash...need I remind you that you _died_ less than a week ago? I think you need the bed a bit more than I do." Brock retorted, causing Norman and Caroline's eyes to widen.

As they hadn't been around during the stay in the hospital, Norman and Caroline weren't used to the casualness in which they talked about the dark tragedy that'd occurred. Though seeing them all laughing, they instantly became more comfortable and laughed as well, but not before being reminded of what Ash had lost, just because he wanted to save their daughter.

"True...But I got to sleep in a bed for almost two weeks straight!" Ash responded.

Brock deadpanned at Ash's words. "Ash, that wasn't sleep. You were unconscious for most of that time."

Ash waved Brock off before speaking. "Eh, same thing."

The banter between the two friends had everyone laughing and in a good mood. In the end, Brock finally relented and allowed himself to take the guest room while Ash slept on the couch in the living room. Ash really was too stubborn for his own good.

"Okay, follow me, guys. I'll give you the grand tour!" May asked of her friends, putting on a faux regal accent as she said the final sentence.

As they stood, Ash smiled and gave an overdramatic bow. "Lead the way, fair maiden."

The two chuckled at their exchange before they walked off, with May leading the charge. When the were out of sight, all that were left in the kitchen were Caroline and Norman.

"They sure are close, aren't they?" Norman asked, with a grin on his face. For the first time, he was actually happy to meet people around May's age; he could tell instantly that they were both exceptional people. These were the first two men he'd ever met that he felt were worthy of being his daughter's friend.

Caroline smiled warmly, her woman's intuition allowing her to read her daughter deeply. "Yes. Yes they are..."

May showed the two men around the first floor. It was pretty normal for a home, despite being quite a bit larger than either Brock or Ash's houses. Though, they were just coming up to the one thing that neither of them had.

"This... is my dad's greenhouse." May told the men, opening the door and entering the grassy area.

Both Brock and Ash marveled at the sight. It was as if they were outside, the only difference being the roof over their heads and the walls surrounding them.

"What does your father use this for?" Brock inquired, curious as to why he would have such a room in his home.

"He lets his pokemon roam around here. It's nice to give them a chance to get out of their pokeballs for a while." May revealed before they heard a rustling in one of the trees. "Oh, there's one of his pokemon now."

Just moments after May had spoken, a pokemon which Brock identified immediately as a Vigoroth came into view. Ash, having not done much reading on the pokemon of Hoenn, took out his pokedex to find out what this pokemon was.

Just then, another pokemon revealed himself, hanging right next to Vigoroth on the tree branch. Ash used his pokedex once again to identify this pokemon as a Slakoth.

May was about to address the two of her father's pokemon, whom she hadn't really seen in what had to be a year or so, before another rustling was heard, this time from a bush at ground level. Ash didn't have time to scan this pokemon as immediately after he showed himself to the group, he began charging at Ash and Brock.

Whatever this pokemon was, it was a lot bigger than either of the two up in the tree. Brock, May and Ash's eyes widened in shock at seeing this huge pokemon charging at them angrily.

Though, they both forced themselves to get over the surprise quickly as they needed to make a move in order to avoid the charging pokemon. At just the right moment, Brock and Ash, the latter of which still having Pikachu on his shoulder, jumped out of the way. Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder just before Ash dodged the oncoming pokemon.

Ash landed in such a way that allowed him to roll through in a somersault and regain his footing quickly. As he'd been expecting, once Ash stood, Pikachu was already in front of him, ready to fight. The large pokemon looked at Pikachu with the same anger he'd shown before. But before Ash could order an attack, May screamed out.

"Slaking, wait! They're our friends!" May yelled loudly, hoping to get through to the newly revealed pokemon.

Hearing May say this made all of the anger wash off of Slaking's face immediately. He even turned around to face May with an apologetic look on his face. May could see that Ash and Brock were both very much confused by what had transpired.

"Slaking can get a bit overprotective of me. When I was younger, my dad made it Slaking's job to make sure I was always safe. Because he didn't know you two, he panicked a bit." May explained to the two men in front of her. "Plus I gotta admit, it's been a while since I've been in here, so he probably wasn't expecting visitors. I was really scared of him for a long time, and as I said before, pokemon and me never exactly...meshed well together, so I would rarely ever come in here."

Both Ash and Brock's adrenaline was still pumping, but they were slowly beginning to calm down. Ash chuckled and shook his head.

"You know, Slaking, a simple 'hello' would've done just fine." Ash spoke teasingly, earning an apologetic look from the pokemon. Seeing this, Ash approached Slaking closer and began rubbing him. "Wow, you're a really strong pokemon, aren't you?"

"Slak slaking!" The pokemon responded proudly, happy to be receiving praise.

As this was going on, Vigoroth dropped down from the tree and joined the others, earning hellos from everyone. Pikachu then got talking with both pokemon, obviously becoming friends. May even decided to release Torchic to introduce her to her father's pokemon.

And while Vigoroth had left his position in the tree, Slakoth still remained hanging under the tree branch. Ash took notice of this.

"What's up with Slakoth? Why isn't he joining us over here?" Ash questioned, hoping one of the two others with him would have an answer.

"Slakoths are known to be one of the worlds laziest pokemon. They sleep for most of the day and just hang around for the rest of it. That is, unless they're in a battle. Vigoroth and Slaking are usually this way as well, though to less of an extreme degree. That being said, these two seem to have quite a bit of energy given their species. That's an indication that they're very well trained." Brock revealed to Ash. May also learned from Brock's explanation as she didn't know much about any pokemon, even her father's.

While Brock knew the more scientific reason behind Slakoths as a species, May only ever really knew that he was just lazy as can be.

The three stayed in the greenhouse for just a while longer, looking around the entire area, Vigoroth and Slaking, as well as the gang's two pokemon, tagging along.

"Well, that's the greenhouse. Let's move on!" May spoked jovially. She loved seeing Ash's overly excited reactions to what he was being shown; it made her feel childlike and happy.

"Hey, Pikachu? Do you want to stay here, or keep with us for the rest of the tour?" Ash asked his best friend.

Pikachu didn't respond immediately, instead he turned his head toward Norman's prized pokemon, seemingly asking if it was alright he stayed. When he receive happy smiles from both of his new pokemon friends, Pikachu turned back toward Ash with a bright smile on his face.

"Pika pika pi!" Pikachu exclaimed, causing Ash to laugh at his starter's excitement.

"Alright, buddy." Ash responded before turning back to his two human friends, knowing that they wouldn't be able to understand Pikachu's answer like he did. "Pikachu is gonna hang out with Vigoroth and Slaking while we move on. That's okay, right May?"

May smiled as she nodded her head in response. "Of course! I'm glad to see they're getting along so well. In fact, Torchic would you like to stay as well?"

"Tor chic!" The young pokemon nodded her head vehemently, excited to be able to spend time with new friends, something she'd never had before.

With that taken care of , the gang proceeded toward the door that would allow them to reenter the house. Before they did this however, Ash turned back.

"You all stay safe now, alright? And be good!" Ash said to the pokemon, earning head nods from all of them before they scurried off, obviously going to play around.

Everyone chuckled at the scene before they reentered the house. Recognizing that they'd seen most of the first floor already, Brock spoke up.

"Okay, May. What's next?" Brock inquired.

May thought for a second, going over where she'd already been with the two men. "Well...the last thing I can really think of that we can get to from the first floor is the gym."

May's words caused Ash's eyes to light up with excitement. "Oh, man! I can't wait to see the gym! Let's get a move on!"

As Ash spoke, he started marching forward, forgetting one small thing...

"Ash, I think we should follow May. You have no idea where you're going..." Brock spoke plainly.

Hearing this, Ash stopped in his tracks and dropped his head in embarrassment, causing his two friends to laugh. After they recovered from their fit of laughter, May retook the lead.

As it turned out, Ash had actually been walking in the correct direction. And it wasn't long before the group reached the doors inside of the house that would give them access to the currently closed gym.

May opened the doors just before Ash could run in. As he entered, Ash slowed to a walk, marching himself to the center of the battlefield. He looked in every direction, spinning around 360 degrees so that he could see the entirety of the gym.

"You're acting like this is your first time in a gym..." May teased. Ash's face never changed from the content smile that it had housed since entering the gym.

"No matter how many gyms I've been to, my reaction will always be the same. I just feel so at home on the battlefield." Ash spoke wistfully. "Gyms are the avenue to accomplishing my dream, so I'll always love being in one."

May smiled softly at Ash's words. Again, May found herself incredibly glad that Ash had something he loved so much. The type of passion Ash showed for pokemon wasn't something that was seen very often, and it was an extremely cool sight to see.

"Have you ever thought about becoming a gym leader one day?" May asked of the raven haired trainer, whom finally broke his gaze off of different parts of the gym and allowed it to fall onto May.

"Nah, it's not really my style. You already know that I hate being stuck in one place for too long. But I guess I can't rule it out completely. I mean, iIm sure I'll have to settle down at some point, but that won't be for a _long_ time" Ash held out the word, causing May to giggle. "That being said, my dreams are much bigger than being a Gym Leader. I want to be on top. To be the best their ever was. And when I get to the top, I plan on staying there for a long time."

May found herself smiling softly at Ash's spirit. His dream wasn't unlike that of thousands of other people in the pokemon world, but somehow with Ash it just seemed...different. Like he could actually do it...

"Well, I know that you're gonna reach your goal one day. With your talent and spirit, there's no way you won't!" May spoke truthfully, causing Ash's smile to morph into one of appreciation. "Just don't forget us regular people when you're a 'Pokemon Master'."

Ash chuckled at May's teasing use of his fabricated title before shooting her another soft, appreciative look.

"I won't. I could never forget a best friend. You've made too much of an impact on me already." Ash said to the brunette, a certain sweetness in his voice that caused May to blush. The two were locked in a gaze for a few moments before Ash realized that they weren't alone He then turned to look at Brock, whom had a knowing smirk on his face. "And I definitely won't forget you either, Brock. Especially not your cooking."

Brock chuckled at Ash's teasing before nodding his head in appreciation. If Brock hadn't known better, he'd say that Ash was flirting with May just a moment ago. But that was just it.

He _did_ know better.

Ash always said what was in his heart, and the words he'd say would often come out as something like he'd just said to May. That being said, he was having a much harder time than normal determining the true meaning behind Ash's words and from what place they were coming from; he was speaking like this quite a lot to May. He was really going to have to have a talk with him soon...

Ash acknowledging Brock caused May to break out of her trance-like state, and hurriedly erased what had to be a stupid grin from her face. She tried to force the blush off of her face, but she was having a difficult time in doing so as Ash's words kept repeating in her mind.

Though she wasn't sure why she was still surprised or embarrassed by what Ash would say to her. Stuff like this flew out of his mouth frequently but even despite that, it never became cheap. May greatly admired the fact that Ash always spoke from his heart, something she always tried to do as well.

As May was recomposing herself, Ash made his way over the the challenger's side trainer box. He looked straight ahead, closing his eyes and allowing his mind to create an entire battle scenario in front of him. He reveled in the feeling he got every time he would battle for a few moments before taking a breath through his nose and reopening his eyes.

Ash's eyes fond their way back to May's before he spoke with a smirk. "You know May, this is where I'm going to be standing when I beat your dad in a battle."

"Oh, Is that so?"

May was about to respond, only to be interrupted by a new voice. Everyone looked to where they'd entered the gym just a while earlier, only to see Norman walking slowly toward his daughter and Brock, his arms across his chest, a smirk on his face and his gaze on Ash.

"That's right. I have to if I'm going to win the Hoenn league." Ash responded back, confidence in his voice. Though, everyone could tell he was playing it up a bit for a show.

"Cocky, are we?" Norman retorted, his smirk growing wider. He liked this kid's style.

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "I think 'confident' is a better word for it, but you can call it whatever you want. I know that I'm going to be victorious when I get the chance to take on this gym."

"We'll just have to see about that, now won't we?" Norman said in response before the two stared into each other's eyes competitively.

The intense moment was broken up by a scoff from May.

"Can you guys cut it out? There's way too much male bravado going on in here." May joked, causing both Norman and Ash to break their gaze and laugh. Ash then left the trainers box and approached the others in order to be closer to the conversation.

"But in all seriousness, I really look forward to battling you, Norman. I've heard you can do some pretty amazing things with normal types. And after meeting your pokemon in the greenhouse, I can tell that their strong. I'm going to have to bring my A-game if I'm going to beat you."

Norman smiled at the taller man, appreciating the respect he was being shown. "Thank you, Ash. I very much look forward to battling you as well. I'd like to test your skills myself given that you've already won an official Pokemon League, especially at such a young age."

Ash nodded his head appreciatively before the group fell into a momentary silence. It was then May remembered something.

"Well, Ash?" May started, gaining everyone's attention. "Aren't you gonna ask him?"

Hearing his daughters words, Norman became confused. But both Ash and Brock instantly knew what the brunette was talking about.

Ash turned his attention back to Norman, an excited glint in his eye. "That's right! Norman, I wanted to ask you if you'd be willing to have an exhibition battle with me. Nothing on the line, just a good natured competition. Would that be okay?"

Everyone could clearly hear the amount of hopefulness in Ash's voice, proving just how much he loved battling. Norman thought over the request for a moment before nodding his head in agreement.

"I don't see a problem with that. It's not against the rules and even if it was, I think I could make an exception for someone who's already beaten a pokemon league."

"Alright!" Ash pumped his fist in excitement, causing the others to chuckle. It was then Norman remembered something he needed to tell Ash.

"But we're going to have to do it tomorrow. Today's one of my rare days off, and I promised Caroline no battling today." Ash was noticeably disappointed at Norman's words, but was still excited at the fact that he would get to battle at all.

Norman was also disappointed by the fact that they couldn't battle immediately; he loved battling as well after all, and he really did want to see what Ash could do given the reputation he'd built for himself in just one years time.

"Everyone needs a break every once in a while. And god knows you need one." May teased her father, earning laughs from Ash and Brock and a mock pout from Norman.

"Alright, I gotta head back inside. I'm spending the whole day with your mother, just like I promised." Norman explained to the children before taking his leave.

Ash turned his attention back to May ad smiled at her. "I really like your father, May. He seems like a really nice guy."

May couldn't help but chuckle at Ash words. "You know, Ash? I'm pretty sure you're the first person my age to ever say that. You and Brock are the first people around my age to escape his hostility."

Both Brock and Ash laughed at May's words.

"Well as they say, there's a first time for everything, right?" Ash responded, earning yet another chortle from everyone.

Once the group calmed down, May motioned for the men to follow her back inside. "Alright, let me show you guys around upstairs."

After May spoke, the three friends made their way up the stairs. The first room they came to was actually the guest room, where Brock would be staying.

"Brock, you're humble abode for the duration of your stay." May as if she were a bellhop at a high end hotel as she allowed the men entry into the room

Both he and Brock took a look around the room, noticing that while still very clean, it obviously hadn't been used in a while. But it had a queen sized bed and a TV on the wall, so Brock was more than happy with the setup.

Brock nodded appreciatively at May. "Thanks, May. I think I'll be very comfortable here."

May smiled happily at the older man. Though, a slight feeling of guilt began eating at her when she remembered that Ash would have to sleep on the couch, and not on a comfortable bed like the rest of them.

"Ash, why don't you take the bed in my room? I'm happy to take the couch." May said in a way that seemed out of nowhere to Ash and Brock. Though, Ash immediately recognized that May was feeling guilty about him not having a bed to sleep on.

Ash smiled softly at the woman in front of him, comforting her by simply doing this. "May, it's _your_ room. And plus, you won't get to sleep there again for who knows how long once you start your journey. And I promise, I'm more than happy on the couch. Of course I'll have to test them out, but your couches seem super comfortable from what I've seen. And besides, I can fall asleep almost anywhere!"

Brock leaned in closer to Brock as if he were going to whisper something, but still kept his volume normal so that Ash would be able to hear. "It's true. He fell asleep standing up once."

May began laughing at the revelation while Ash tried to figure out a way to defend himself.

"In my defense, we had been on our feet, just standing around for hours!" Ash tried giving his side of the story, but this only seemed to make May laugh harder. Ash simply sighed in defeat and let out a chuckle or two of his own.

Once May calmed down from her fir of laughter, she looked to Ash compassionately once more. "You're sure you're okay with the couch? Because I re-"

Ash out his hands on May's shoulders and looked deep into her eyes, causing her to stop talking. "May...I'm fine on the couch. I swear it."

May smiled immediately as she heard what was turning into one of Ash's signature lines as it reassured her that he truly was okay with the setup. Ash then brought his arms back to his sides as they resumed the tour.

The next door down the hall was Max's room. May knocked on the door before opening it, allowing all three friends to enter.

Max was sitting at his desk, a bunch of papers strewn out in front of him. They all realized he must be working on those strategies he'd told Ash about earlier like he'd said he would be. Though when May, Brock and Ash entered, he turned around and welcomed the trio.

"I know you don't like me in your room, but I thought this is something of a special exception." May explained herself. They had a a mutual agreement that their rooms were off limits to the other; it was the only place they could go to get away from each other when one was annoying the other.

Max simply acknowledged his sister with a nod of the head. "Welcome to my room."

As Ash and Brock looked around, they noticed it looked fairly normal for a 14 year old boy's room. Though, it housed much more posters of pokemon and famous trainers of the past than that of a typical kid. It was also extremely neat, they both noticed; Max very obviously liked his organization. That was probably a part of his intellectual side.

Ash eyes stopped when they landed on a familiar cap, which was station on a shelf above Max's desk. Ash smiled as he gazed at it, not so old memories washing over him. Everyone noticed his gaze and followed it.

"I gotta say, you've got a great taste in hats, Max." Ash tore his gaze from the replica of his Pokemon Expo Hat and smiled at the young boy, causing him, along with everyone else to chuckle.

"Thanks, Ash. After I saw you tearing down the house in the Indigo League, I knew that I had to have one." Max said to the man.

"Very cool. But how did you get one? It was really difficult for me to get mine back in the day. And I thought they stopped making them a while back." Ash questioned.

Even before the The Pokemon League Expo hat had stopped being produced a couple of years ago, it was pretty rare and at the time Ash had gotten it, it could only be obtained by sending in hundreds of stamp like tickets found on the boxes and bags of various products. It had taken him almost a full year to get enough for it.

As Ash spoke Max reached up and grabbed the hat, examining it meticulously. "Well, with you doing so well in the Indigo League while wearing this hat, the company that made them decided to do a limited run of them in honor of you. They only made 100 of them. I was really lucky that my dad was able to use some connections to get me one."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise at Max's words. He had no idea about any of that. He found it very cool that people wanted to have the hat he had simply because he wore it, but it also made him slightly embarrassed. The 'fame' that came along with being a successful trainer was not something Ash liked every much.

This was also news to both Brock and May, who were impressed by the revelation. They knew Ash had received some notoriety from performing so well in the Indigo League, but this was still a surprise. Though, a question found its way into May's mind.

"You didn't know about this, Ash?" May asked the raven haired trainer beside her, earning a shake of the head in response. "Don't you think you should've received some of the money from the hat sales? I mean, you are the reason they sold, right?"

Ash thought it over momentarily , before smiling and shrugging his shoulders. "I don't really care about money. I just think it's cool that people wanted something just because I wore it! And because so few were sold, it's kind of like all of us that have the hat are in some sort of a club or something!"

Everyone giggled as Ash spoke. May told herself she should've known that Ash didn't care if he got money from the operation. Like he'd said before, he was a simple man, and really didn't need much. And May admired him for that greatly.

"Okay, well we should move on. The tour is almost finished!" May told her two friends before they all exited the room, earning a wave of goodbye from Max.

May pointed out the bathroom as it was next down the hallway before reaching the door that led into her room. She reached for the handle of the closed door, only to stop as she wrapped her hand around it.

Thinking about it now, May'd never had a boy in her room. And for some reason, she had no problem with Brock going in, but the thought of Ash being in her room both worried and excited her slightly. Though, she knew that this really wasn't that big of a deal. They were all adults after all.

Both Ash and Brock noticed May's hesitation, with only the latter putting together why she'd done so, causing him to smirk. Though, it was barely a few moments before May pushed the door open and allowed entry to her room.

Like in the other rooms, Ash and Brock took in their surroundings. It was slightly messier than Max's room, but that wasn't saying much considering that anything would be messy compared to the kind of room it seemed Max kept.

All in all, it appeared to be just a typical room. It wasn't overly girly, but both were still able to tell that a woman occupied the room. It was nice, and seemed to fit May well.

"Nice room, May!" Ash spoke excitedly, causing May to chuckle at Ash's enthusiasm over such a simple thing.

"Well, that's enough of that." May said as she left her room, causing the boy's to follow, with Ash pulling the door closed behind him. "All that's left is my parent's room, but we don't really need to see that."

Both Ash and Brock nodded their heads in acceptance. Growing up, each of them knew that a parent's room was almost always considered 'off limits' unless given proper permission to enter. Even know that they were adults in the world's eye, they still wanted to respect what they'd always known.

"You're house is awesome, May. It's got everything!" Ash told the brunette happily, causing her to smile in appreciation.

"Oh come on, Ash. I know you're just still excited about the fact that May lives in a gym." Brock exposed Ash's true feelings, causing May to laugh.

"Hey! While that may be true, I really do like the rest of the house. Honest, May. It's really nice." Ash spoke, quickly making sure that May knew that Brock was just joking around.

But of course, May knew this, so she alleviated Ash's concern over the matter. The two really did already know each other on a deep level, and that allowed them to be in touch with the other's feelings a lot of the time.

"Thanks, Ash. Hopefully one day I'll get the chance to visit your house." May spoke with hopefulness in her voice. She was very happy when Ash nodded his head with a bright smile.

"Of course! My mom already loves you, so she'll be happy to have you. Pallet Town certainly doesn't have anywhere near as much to do as Petalburgh does, but it has it's charm. I think you'd really like it." Ash told the brunette, who responded with a nod of her own.

She was extremely happy that she'd already made a great impression with Ash's mother. She was close to Ash and because of that, she wanted to be close to the people he cares about. Plus, Delia was a wonderful woman and was an absolute pleasure to be around.

At that moment, Ash's stomach made a loud grumbling noise. May began laughing, but Brock was simply shocked at who Ash could be hungry after the massive breakfast they had.

May's laughter stopped however, when her own stomach let out a growl. Her change in expression caused Ash to chuckle.

"How on earth can you guys be hungry? You two ate a ton at breakfast." Brock asked incredulously. Even after all this time, Ash's eating habits still surprised him and now, he also had May's habits to be shocked at the sight of.

"Well, it's about 1:00pm. We got a pretty late start to the day and we spent a lot of time just sitting around and chatting at Professor Birch's house. It's lunch time! It's only natural to be hungry now." May explained.

"It's like you don't even know me. I'm always hungry, and May's the same way. It's just the way we are, and we're proud of it!" Ash added, standing tall and proud next to May, whom was doing the same. Their action caused their older friend to sigh and let out a chuckle.

"Come on, I'm sure my mom will be happy to make us something." May told the men before leading the way back to the kitchen.

When the arrived, Norman was no longer their, but Caroline was still standing, wiping down the counter. When she saw the three enter, she shot a motherly smile their way.

"Hey, Mom? Do you think you could make us something to eat? Maybe a sandwich or something?" May questioned politely, earning a nod from her mother.

"Of course, dear. Is peanut butter and jelly okay?" Caroline asked. Once she received a nod from Ash and May, she went to work.

"Nothing for me, Caroline. I don't eat anywhere near as much as these two." Brock explained to the mother, causing her to chortle.

"I can understand that." Caroline addressed Brock before turning her attention to Ash. "I almost couldn't believe it when May told me you eat as much as she does. I thought she was the only one in the world who could eat like that!" Caroline exaggerated.

During the course of the week that Ash was awake, May would call her parents daily, just to keep them updated on everything that was happening. And of course, a lot of the conversation centered around Ash. May told them a lot about Ash, and the topic of eating was bound to come up at some point.

"Yeah, I was just as surprised when I first saw May eat. I don't know how she can pack down so much." Ash spoke with a laugh.

May huffed in a joking manner as she crossed her arm. "Please, I could say the same thing to you. To be honest, I don't know how either of us can eat as much. As we do And even more so how we're able to keep in shape while doing so."

"Actually, I do know the answer to that one." Ash said, causing May to look at him with interest. "I train...a lot. Before the accident, I would train every single morning along with my pokemon for two to three hours. Honestly, I don't think I eat enough calories as it is."

Both May and Caroline, whom was currently putting together two PB&J sandwiches as she listened, were surprised by the revelation. Though, May supposed she really shouldn't have been. After seeing him without a shirt on, it was obvious that Ash worked out extremely hard.

"It's true." Brock added, corroborating his best friend's story. "Every day during our journey through Kanto, he'd get up at the crack of dawn to work out and train his pokemon. Me and our friend Misty tried to do it with him for a while, but it was just too intense. Ash really doesn't joke around when it comes to training."

As all eyes fell on him once again, amazement clear on the two woman's faces, Ash rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "What can I say? I like to work out. And I don't think it's fair for me to just call out commands to my pokemon while training them. My thought process is if they see me working hard, then they'll want to work hard as well."

The explanation made sense to everyone. Caroline even found herself wishing she'd had the same thought when she was a trainer back in her youth.

"I was actually planning on getting back at it tomorrow morning." Ash added, informing everyone of his intentions.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" May questioned worriedly. She didn't want him to push himself too hard after just getting out of the hospital.

Ash smiled at May's concern before reassuring her. "I'll be fine, May. Plus, I'm going to keep it light for a while. If I push myself too hard, I'm just gonna have to wait longer to start training again."

As Ash finished speaking, Caroline brought over the two sandwiches and placed them in front of May and Ash, who thanked her graciously. The three friends had sat down when they'd first entered the kitchen.

"Wow, this is great, Caroline!" Ash complimented as he munched down the sandwich quickly. May wasn't far behind in finishing her sandwich.

May chuckled at the man sitting beside her. "Ash, it's just a sandwich. Kinda hard to mess up."

"That may be, but this tastes way better than any PB&J I've ever had." Ash responded back. If there was one thing he knew besides pokemon, it was food. He was sure something was different about this sandwich.

"I actually make the jelly myself. Well...jam, in this case. It's a recipe I came up with a while back." Caroline explained to Ash, who was very impressed by her words.

"That's so awesome! Brock, you gotta get the recipe before we leave." Ash commented to his traveling companion. Upon hearing Ash's words, Caroline looked to Brock in confusion; despite what he was capable of, Caroline thought he didn't really look like the cooking type.

Brock smiled as he met the mother's gaze. "Cooking is something I really enjoy doing. And I like to think I'm pretty good at it."

"Pretty good!?" Ash exclaimed. "Brock here makes some of the best food you'll ever taste. There's this stew he makes when we're on the road that'll knock your socks off."

May laughed at Ash's enthusiasm over food as it matched her own. She also became quite curious as to Brock's culinary skills. She very much wanted to try something he made.

Caroline seemed very impressed by the revelation. "Well then, how about you give me a hand with dinner tonight? I'd love to see what you can do."

Brock smiled happily at the opportunity. "I'd love to help out, Caroline. Sounds good to me."

"Great. Would you guys like anything else?" Caroline asked of the trio, earning nods from them all. Both May and Ash were still a bit hungry, but they were excited for the dinner that was going to come from two great cooks. They wanted to be as hungry as possible for that.

"Well...what should we do now? We have a lot of time to kill before dinner." Ash questioned, happy for anything. He was feeling kind of tired as well, so a nap also sounded nice...

May pondered over the question for a few moments before responding. "Why don't I show you guys around Petalburgh! I wanted to do that at some point."

"That sounds great! Let's do that." Ash responded, getting a second wind from his excitement to see May's home town.

"I think you guys might want to wait until tomorrow to walk around the city." Caroline said while staring out the window that was placed above the sink. All three friends looked at the woman in confusion. "Take a look outside."

Upon processing Delia's words, the three stood front heir chairs and made their way to the nearest window. When the look out, the immediately realized why Caroline had said what she did.

It was raining.

It wasn't a torrential downpour, but it was raining hard enough to take walking around the town out of the cards. Sure they could go with umbrellas, but May wanted them to see all of Petalburgh, and that just wasn't going to happen while it was raining.

May become downcast as she realized she'd have to hold off on showing Ash and Brock around her hometown. She'd really started looking forward to it, imagining how Ash would react to all of her favorite places; his over the top enthusiasm really made her happy.

Noticing her mood, change Ash put on a toothless smile and worked to comfort May. "It's alright, May. We'll just go tomorrow. I'm really excited to see your hometown, but it can wait one more day."

Ash words made May smile at the man. He was right, this wasn't a big deal. The only problem was, what if it was supposed to rain tomorrow? Or god forbid, the rest of their stay?

As if on cue, Norman entered the kitchen, a newspaper in hand. It seemed he'd heard about the problem and had come to reassure them.

"According to the paper, the rain should stop sometime tonight. Nothing but sunny skies for the rest of the week. You can show them around tomorrow, no problem." Norman told her daughter, causing her smile to widen and nod her head.

"Okay so if we aren't going to go around the city, what are we going to do?" Brock inquired, hoping to have some fun with his friends before helping Caroline with dinner in a few hours.

Both May and Ash scoured their brains for things that they could do. It didn't take long before May cam up with an idea that was perfect for a rainy day like today.

"Why don't we go watch a movie? We have a bunch to choose from." May threw her idea into the pot. Brock and Ash thought about it for just a second before responding positively. It'd been quite a while since they'd seen a movie, so this sounded nice. Plus, what else were they going to do on a rainy day?

"Awesome. We'll watch in the family room. That's where the biggest TV is." May explained. Though before anyone moved, Norman asked a question that'd just popped into his mind.

"Hey where are your pokemon?" Norman questioned both May and Ash. He knew Torchic could simply be in her pokeball, but he knew that Pikachu didn't like being in his ball. He remembered hearing it from what was admittedly an awkward interview with Ash while at the Indigo League. Though, it was his first so that was to be expected.

May was about to speak, but Ash beat her to the punch. "They're in the greenhouse, playing with your pokemon. I hope that's okay..."

Norman smiled happily at the man's words and nodded his head. "Of course it is. My pokemon don't get many visitors, so they were probably jumping at the opportunity to play around with them. Despite being big and lazy, they liked to have fun just as much as anyone. I'm glad to know that everyone is getting along with my pokemon."

May began chuckling as she remembered the incident that'd happened when the first entered the greenhouse. "Well, Slaking did try to kill Ash and Brock when we first went in there."

Both Brock and Ash chortled at the memory while Norman looked at the men apologetically. "Sorry about that. A long time ago I told Slaking to protect May and be wary of strangers. He has a tendency to take things a bit too far."

"Don't worry about it, Norman. We managed to jump out of the way just in time. Then May explained to him that we're her friends, so all is well." Brock told the older man.

"I'm glad to hear that. Well, you guys enjoy your movie." Norman told the three friends before walking closer to his wife.

Before May, Brock and Ash could leave, Caroline called out one more thing to the oldest member of the trio. "Oh and Brock, head back here at around 6 so we can start preparing dinner. Is that alright?"

Brock responded wordlessly with a smile and a nod before the three finally walked off and entered the living room. Ash, wanting to test the comfortability of what would be his bed for the next few days, immediately plopped down on the couch.

Ash found them too be very comfortable; not overly hard or soft. He'd have a fine time sleeping these, the largest couch in particular.

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize for the strange stopping point of this chapter. There wouldn't be a proper stopping point for another 10,000 or so words, and I didn't want to put out a 20,000 word chapter. Besides that, I hope you all enjoyed chapter 11. Please follow, favorite and review! See ya**


	12. Conversation

How to Change a Life

As Brock and Ash took a seat, May approached a cabinet that was next to the TV. When she pulled the doors to the cabinet open, the two men saw dozens upon dozens of movies well organized inside of it.

"So, what do you guys wanna watch?" May inquired. She had a lot of movies, so she wasn't sure where she should start.

"Whatever you want to watch is fine with us, May." Ash told the brunette, wanting to make her happy. May smiled at Ash before looking through the DVDs.

While she was doing this, Ash couldn't help but find himself silently praying that she wouldn't pick some romance film. Though if she did, he would be fine with it and would willingly watch it and power through it for May's sake.

After a few moments, May pulled out a movie. Neither Ash or Brock could see what the movie was, but May seemed content with her choice. After making sure that the disk was inside the case, May turned the box around, showing the men what the movie was.

"Is this okay?" May questioned, still holding up the box.

Ash was ecstatic to see that the movie wasn't some romance movie that his mother loved so much. Instead, it was a popular action movie that'd come out a few years ago.

May couldn't help but notice the relief present on Ash's face, causing her to chuckle. She then went over the the DVD player and placed the movie in.

As she grabbed the remote and sat down in between Ash and Brock, May addressed the raven haired trainer.

"You thought I was gonna pick some chick flick, didn't you?" May teased, causing Ash to chuckle lamely. "While those are nice every once in a while, I'm more of an action kind of girl myself."

Ash smiled at May's words. "And damn I'm I glad to hear that."

The two shared a short laugh as May turned on the TV and started the movie. Before the film officially began, May, as discretely as she could, scooted herself closer to Ash so that their thighs were touching. Seeing that Ash either hadn't noticed or wasn't bothered by it, May sat back contently and enjoyed the movie.

It was a full two hours before the movie had ended. And while Ash had been slightly tired before the movie started, the nonstop action of the film woke him right up. He found himself and May getting riled up at all the same moments, even high-fiving when the main bad guy got what was coming to him in the end.

Seeing that it was still only 3:30pm, they decided they'd watch another movie. This time, they went with a raunchy comedy. All three friends laughed the whole way through, enjoying the movie, as well as their own commentary, immensely. Once that movie was over, they only had about another 30 minutes to kill before dinner.

Ash and May were more than eager for dinner. After how highly Ash spoke of Brock's cooking, May especially was really looking forward to it. And Ash, as always, couldn't wait for the food, also excited to try Caroline's cooking. And both were very hungry, just as they hoped to be as dinner time came around.

The three chatted about random things, simply enjoying each others company greatly. With just a few minutes before 6:00pm, the gang decided to head to the kitchen. When they arrived, they noticed Norman sitting at the table, and Caroline seemingly prepping the countertops for cooking. Both parents immediately took notice of the new arrivals.

Caroline's eyes shot immediately to the oldest member of the group. "Perfect timing, Brock. I was just about to come get you. I thought tonight would be a special dinner in honor of Ash's recovery, so we have a lot of work to do if we're going to be done before 7."

Brock smiled, happy at the challenge he was about to partake in. He always loved cooking, so making a big meal was right up his alley.

Ash was also touched that they were honoring this dinner to his recovery. "Thank you, Caroline. I really appreciate that."

Caroline simply smiled and waved off Ash's thanks. "Of course, Ash. After what you did for our daughter, we prayed every night that you'd pull through. And the fact that you did needs to be celebrated!"

Ash grinned from ear to ear, once again happy that he was able to get to know the members of this lovely family.

"I mean, the doctor's called it a miracle, didn't they?" Norman questioned. Both May and Caroline shot him a look, not liking the fact that he'd brought up just how bleak Ash's chances of survival had been. Despite this, Ash wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest, and he simply nodded his head. "Caroline is right, that certainly deserves to be celebrated."

Ash once again voiced his thanks to the two parents before Norman stood from his chair and opened the door to a pantry that was separate from the pantry that Caroline had been using. Ash and Brock immediately realized why when he pulled out a large bag of pokemon food.

"Well, I gotta go feed the pokemon. I'll be back." Norman said, sounding tired. He loved his pokemon and never minded feeding them, he was just feeling a bit tired and didn't want to have to lug this huge bag out to the greenhouse in order to fill his pokemon's bowls.

"Umm, I'd be happy to feed the pokemon, Norman." Ash volunteered himself, recognizing that the older man really didn't want to do this chore at the moment. "I have to feed Pikachu anyway, so I have no problem feeding your pokemon as well."

Norman smiled at the gesture. "That would be great, Ash. I would really appreciate it. Lugging this giant bag of food all the way to a greenhouse has been doing a number to my back lately."

"I can see why. That bag is huge. How much does that thing weigh?" Brock inquired, taking in just how large the bag was. It came up to slightly above Norman's waist level and was extremely thick. It was very obviously dense as well.

Upon hearing the question, Norman looked at the front of the bag, knowing that it stated the weight of it when full. As he read the number, his eyes actually widened in surprise; he'd forgotten just how heavy this pokemon food was.

"It's 200 pounds brand new." Norman stated, earning a long whistle from Ash. It was also clear to see that the bag had very little food missing from it, meaning it was nearly at maximum weight.

"Geez, dad. And you lug that around everyday?" May question, surprised by the strength her father apparently had.

"Yeah, I do. Though, I have kind of a hard time and have to stop a few times before I actually reach the greenhouse. But it obviously gets easier as we use more of the food. It's only bad when it's relatively new like this one is." Norman explained. "I would just bring their bowls in and feed them that way, but we had to bolt their food bowls in the ground. Vigoroth finds it hilarious to take Slakoth and Slaking's bowls and hide them. And we can't just leave the food in there for obvious reasons..."

Everyone chuckled at Norman's explanation before Ash took a step forward, still planning to make good on his offer.

"Well I have no problem feeding the pokemon while I stay here, Norman. It'd be my pleasure." Ash spoke kindly, earning a nod from the father.r

"Thanks, Ash. I really appreciate the help." Norman responded, with Ash waving away the thanks and saying that it wasn't need

Though at this time, Norman realized something that he should tell the man in front of him. "Ash, I would let you use this food to feed Pikachu, but this food is specifically designed for normal types. I'm pretty sure Pikachu wouldn't to like it."

Norman had been expecting Ash to respond, so he was slightly surprised when Brock stepped forward. "That's no problem, both myself and Ash keep Pikachu's food on us all the time. We have plenty with us right now. I even have some more generic pokemon food for Torchic."

May thanked Brock once again, remembering this is what Torchic has been eating the entire time they were in the hospital, waiting for Ash to recover. While Torchic did seem to like the food, she knew that her pokemon would really like food specially made for fire types much more.

As if reading her mind, Brock spoke once again. "I'll work up a recipe for a fire type oriented pokemon food and give it to you sometime soon, alright May?"

May smiled happily and nodded her head. "Thank you, Brock. That would be great. I know Torchic would really appreciate that."

"Alright, let's go do this." Ash said to himself as he walked forward and prepared to pick up the heavy bag.

"I'll come with you." May stepped forward, earning Ash's attention. "I'll bring Pikachu and Torchic's food."

Ash smiled and nodded at May before prepping himself to lift the bag. He lifted the bag with little trouble and threw it on his shoulder, holding it with one arm. Everyone was amazed by the display of strength, even Brock who'd seen feats like this before.

Ash noticed all eyes were on him, confusing him greatly. "What...?"

"Ash, you lifted that like it was nothing. And your holding it on your shoulder with one arm." May explained to the man, in a tone that said it should be obvious why they were so impressed.

Ash simply chuckled at the brunette's words. "Like I said May, I work out... _a lot_. Now come on, let's go."

It was when Ash began walking that May broke out of her amazement, following close behind after grabbing the food from Brock. The bag was heavy to Ash, but he felt that he could handle the weight the way he was carrying it.

Norman and Caroline were both still very impressed by Ash's strength. Though once the raven haired trainer was out of sight, he crossed his arms and huffed

"I bet I could do that if I really tried..." Norman mentioned. It was clear for Caroline to tell that Norman wasn't actually feeling jealousy and was simply joking around.

"Oh, don't be jealous, honey. I'm sure you could've done that when you were his age too." Caroline comforted her husband as she walked up to him and put a hand on his back.

Caroline's words made Norman smirk and flex his biceps, which were definitely impressive given his age. "Please. You know I still got it!"

Caroline simply patted her husband on the back before returning to her spot at the counter. "Whatever you say, dear."

Norman deflated in an overly dramatic fashion at Caroline's words, causing Brock to chuckle. Brock then decided he should start helping Caroline, so he approached the woman and got to work.

Back with May and Ash, the two had just reached the greenhouse. Once they were inside, Ash set the bag down and wiped his brow, getting the imaginary sweat off of his forehead.

"That is _a lot_ of pokemon food." Ash spoke exasperatedly. Walking that distance with the heavy bag actually got his heart pumping quite a bit,

May chortled at Ash's words as she set down the two much smaller bags of food she'd been carrying. "Slaking and Vigoroth are big pokemon. They eat a lot of food. They're kind of like you and me in that regard."

The two shared at laugh at what May had said before getting to work filling the bowls. Ash found the bowls Norman had reference before, and he discovered he was true to his word when he said that they were bolted to the ground. Letting out a sigh, Ash picked up the large bag again and filled two large bowls, and one smaller one, which was obviously for Slakoth.

Brock had also given May two bowls for both Pikachu and Torchic, so she went to work filling each of them with their food.

Once they were done, the pair looked around to see if they could find the pokemon. Neither could see them, but they could hear movement in the trees.

Coming up with a solution, Ash cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled. "Guys, dinner!"

After Ash said this, the rustling they were hearing in the trees began to get closer. It wasn't long before 4 of the 5 pokemon came into view. Pikachu was sitting on Slaking's shoulder, while Torchic was doing the same on Vigoroth's. Based on the sounds they'd heard, both Ash and May assumed that they were swinging in the trees with the Pikachu and Torchic riding them.

Though once the mention of food was heard, the typically lazy pokemon came rushing over. It was kind of strange seeing pokemon that were known for being lazy being so energetic. These pokemon were obviously trained very well and simply had a different personality than others of their species.

Both Slaking and Vigoroth went to the bowls that they knew were assigned to them and began gobbling down their food. Torchic and Pikachu however, took a detour and ran up to hug their trainers before approaching their food. The four reunited happily before both Ash and May set their pokemon down and allowed them to eat.

Now that they'd been eating for few moments, Ash realized that still hadn't made its arrival. "Hey, where's Slakoth?"

As if one cue, they watched the aforementioned pokemon drop down from a tree and begin lumbering his way over to his food bowl. He was walking incredibly slowly, but both humans could tell that the pokemon was happy to be receiving food. This was much closer to what was expected of pokemon in this evolutionary line.

May smiled as she watched the pokemon eat before turning to Ash, hoping to spark a conversation. "You know for as long as I've lived here, I don't think I've ever fed the pokemon before."

"I mean, that makes sense. You said you never really liked, and even feared, pokemon, so it's only natural that you wouldn't want to be around them." Ash rationalized, earning a nod of agreement from May.

"When I first left for what was supposed to be the start of my journey, that was the first time I'd seen my dad's pokemon in what had to be years. I just really didn't like pokemon, even though these guys were always so incredibly nice to me." May revealed to Ash, whom was listening intently.

May let out a light chuckle. "When I first came in here with you guys, today, I think Slakoth and Vigoroth were both pretty surprised to see me. They were happy too. Even though I've never been there for for them, they were still happy to see me, and Slaking still wanted to protect me. I wonder why that is...?"

"It's like I said, May. You have a way with pokemon, just like I do. Pokemon are just drawn to you, they like you. They trust you. You just never got a chance to see that when you were basically avoiding them." Ash explained to the brunette, who was listening closely to her best friend's words.

"You really think so?" Even though this was nowhere near the first time Ash had said this, May still had a hard time believing it, even with all the evidence pointing to it.

Ash nodded his head without hesitation. "Definitely. Here, just watch this. Slaking, Vigoroth, can you come here please?"

Ash called over the two normal type pokemon just as they'd finished eating. He would've called Slakoth over but like he did all other things, he was eating at a painful slow pace.

The two pokemon happily trotted over; any friend of the family's was a friend of their as well, so they were happen to listen to Ash. This was especially true after Pikachu had told them how great of a trainer Ash was; thy really wanted to battle with him.

"You guys like May, right?" Ash questioned, earning immediate head nods from both pokemon. "And even though she never really came to see you guys, you still care for her and trust her, right?"

Again, Ash received another head nod from both pokemon. Ash turned to May once he'd finished speaking causing the two pokemon to do the same, smiling at her.

"You see, May. Even if you haven't always liked pokemon, they still liked you. And that's not even talking about Torchic." Upon hearing the conversation and her name come up, Torchic hopped away from her food and bounced up and down in front of May, causing her trainer to smile and pick her up. "Professor Birch said that Torchic was afraid of every trainer that tried to pick her...except for you. You helped her get over her fears. You helped her accept the fact that she didn't have to live in a constant state of terror. Even though you went into getting your first pokemon dreading it, you and Torchic still connected. If that's not proof that you have a way with pokemon, then I don't know what is."

As Ash was speaking, May had been looking at Torchic and petting her head, which she enjoyed immensely. At one point, their eyes met and May really felt the connection that Ash was talking about. May then brought her eyes back up to face Ash, whom was housing a toothless smile of his own.

Ash was really good at knowing just what to say to make her feel amazing. It seemed that whenever anything left his mouth, it either comforted her, made her laugh, or filled her with joy. She'd never experienced that with anyone before. Once again, she thanked Arceus that she'd met Ash on that day not long ago.

"Thank you, Ash. You're right. I guess it was always my destiny to love pokemon, I just needed a nudge in order to see that. A nudge that both you and Torchic gave me." May spoked sweetly as she made her way over to Vigoroth and Slaking after placing Torchic on the ground next to Pikachu. "I'm really starting to understand why so many people love pokemon. And thank you guys for still caring about me, even if I haven't been the best friend to you. You're my father's pokemon, and I see now that you're really amazing."

Both Vigoroth and Slaking shouted their names happily as May scratched their heads for a moment. May then turned her head to Slakoth, who'd still barely made a dent in his food.

"And thank you too, Slakoth" May shouted, At first, she thought that the pokemon hadn't heard her, but it turned out that Slakoth was simply turning his head very slowly. He didn't even say anything, he simply nodded his head and went back to eating, causing both Ash and May to laugh.

"Come on, we should get back and see if we can help with anything." Ash motioned toward the door, earning a nod of agreement from May.

Both Torchic and Pikachu decided that they'd tag along and came back to the house along with their trainers. They allowed their pokemon to say goodbye as Ash closed the top of the large food bag and hefted it up while May gathered up the other pokemon's food as well. They then made their way back to the kitchen.

Immediately after entering through he doors of the greenhouse, both Ash and May were greeted by the heavenly aroma of the food being prepared in the kitchen. Based on the heavy scent of garlic, the two assumed that it must be pasta, meatballs, and other types of such foods which came from a far away region. Neither could remember the name, though they did recall it started with an I and was shaped somewhat similarly to a boot...

Both humans and their pokemon followed the scent to the kitchen, the dreamy looks never once leaving the faces of either Ash or May. Everyone took notice of the two new arrivals in the kitchen, and instantly saw the expressions on their faces.

Max, who'd come down sometime while Ash and May were in the greenhouse, looked to Norman, confused. "What's with them?"

"They just _really_ love food. You already know that about your sister, but it turns out Ash eats just as much as she does." Norman explained, laughing as Max's eyes widened in shook; like his parents, he'd though May was the only one in the world who could eat like she did.

"Wow...the food smells incredible." May voiced her opinion.

"Yeah...what she said..." Ash's trance like state seemed just as severe as May's, causing everyone to chortle.

"Well, I certainly hope it tastes as good as it smells. It's actually just about done." Caroline told the tow, snapping them out of their trance-like states as they realized they would be getting to eat soon. The mother then turned her attention back to Brock, who was adding seasoning to a spaghetti sauce he'd made. "And I have to say Brock, I'm very impressed with your culinary skills."

Brock smiled at the woman and wiped his hands on the apron that Caroline had graciously provided him. "Thank you, Caroline. And may I say you did a great job yourself. I think we make a pretty good team in the kitchen."

"You guys should try out for one of those cooking shows!" Max voiced his thought, causing everyone to laugh.

"I think I'll just stick to feeding my family for now." Caroline said as she began bringing food to the table, while Brock nodded in agreement whilst doing the same.

It only took a few moments before a number of foods were sprawled out in front of everyone. May and Ash sat next to each other, while Brock and Max sat net to each other on the other side. Caroline and Norman both had both heads of the table.

"I think we should say a little prayer, for whatever it was that saved Ash." Caroline mentioned, earning words of agreement for everybody. None of them were particularly religious as it wasn't a common thing in the pokemon world, but it just felt like the right thing to do here. That being said, praying to Arceus was a fairly common practice.

Everyone locked hands and closed their eyes in preparation. Caroline was about to take the helm, but May beat her to the punch. She had a lot more to say than Caroline about the situation anyway.

"Arceus, we give you our biggest thanks for saving Ash's life. When we lost him for that moment, I was... broken, devastated beyond measure. But I've never been happier, more relieved than when I heard his heartbeat return." May started, speaking straight from her heart. Everyone continued to listen intently.

"And thank you not only for saving Ash, but also for simply just bringing him into my life. And thank you for allowing us to connect so deeply, to already be able to consider each other the best of friends. Now that he's in my life, I have a hard time remembering how it was before he came along. And honestly, that's fine by me because with him around, everything is just a little bit brighter, a bit more fun, and overall just _a lot_ better." May paused herself once again, emotion welling up inside of her. "So thank you for saving him. But even more so, thank you for bringing Ash Ketchum into my life."

Normally, May would've never said these things out loud, especially in front of Ash, Brock and her whole family, but after seeing that this was how Ash went through life, she wanted to start speaking from her heart more as well, and this seemed like a good place to start.

When May stopped speaking this time, everyone assumed that she had finished and opened their eyes. Before they all let go of each other's hands, Ash smiled at May appreciatively and gave her hand a squeeze, earning a sincere smile in response.

"Wow, May. That was very nice. I'm so glad that you and Ash are already so close." Caroline spoke sweetly. She was slightly surprised by her daughter's words, but it just proved once again how much this boy meant to her. Caroline was incredibly glad that May had found a friend in a man like Ash. Even after only knowing of him for just a couple of weeks, she trusted him with her daughter's life; how could she not when he'd already gave his own life for her once before.

And even more surprising to Caroline was that Norman seemed to like Ash. Not once did Norman show anything but distain for boys May's age. She'd always thought it was just because he was refusing to accept that May was growing up, but this situation showed that this wasn't the case. Now that Ash had come around, Caroline understood that her husband simply wouldn't accept anything but the best for his daughter, even in terms of who she was friends with. And it seemed May had found someone that Norman deemed worthy of being around their daughter.

Norman's very obvious love for their daughter made Caroline's heart flutter. She instantly remembered why she loved him so much, and found herself incredibly happy that she'd found a man like him.

"Wow...Thank you, May. That really means a lot to me. You know how highly I think of you as well. Everything you said goes double for me. You're one of the best people I've ever met." Ash said to May, causing her to smile sweetly. Ash then turned to face the rest of the table once again, more specifically, Norman And Caroline. "You really raised a great daughter."

Caroline simply smiled with gratitude, once again feeling joy that May was so happy and that Ash was such a good person.

"Trust me, we know." Norman spoke lovingly as he met May's gaze.

The two shared a moment between father and daughter before it was interrupted by an exaggerated clearing of the throat from Max. Everyone's eyes then fell on him, but his gaze only found Ash's, an expectant look on his face.

Knowing what he wanted, Ash smirked and spoke teasingly. "And it seems that you've done well with your son too."

Max smiled triumphantly as he sat back in his chair while everyone laughed. Because Ash was so close to May, he already felt very comfortable around Max, especially since they shared a lot of the same interests. And Max, even after just speaking, could already tell that himself and Ash were going to be good friends, which was incredibly cool to him.

They all then began gathering food for their plates and eating. While they knew that Ash ate like their daughter, especially after seeing him demolish the sandwich at lunch time, watching him eat almost exactly as May did still managed to surprise the parent's. They simply chuckled and watched the two in amazement.

They then decided to start a conversation, which caused both Ash and May to slow their eating down so that they would be able to join in. They seemed more than okay with this as they'd already managed to consume quite a bit of food.

"So Ash, what was it like winning a pokemon league?" Max asked excitedly.

Ash smiled at the boy's obvious love for battling before responding. "To be honest, Max...it was everything I ever dreamed it would be. It was the biggest thrill of my life, and I really hope I get to experience it again at some point in my career."

"Hey, you will! You're entering the Hoenn League, right?" Max questioned, earning a nod from the man sitting across from him. "Then you're gonna be at the top of the mountain again, no doubt about it. And with my strategies, you're gonna beat the Elite 4, and the Champion too! But you better reach your goal before I become a trainer because when that happens, I'm going to be the one winning all the tournaments, not you."

Everyone chuckled at Max's level of enthusiasm and confidence while Ash thanked the younger boy for his eventual help and gave him a mock competitive smirk.

"So, Ash. While we're on the subject" Norman started, earning Ash's, and everyone else's, attention. "How does it feel to be the youngest person to ever win a pokemon league? I mean, that's quite the accomplishment. This is something that'll go down in Pokemon League history."

Ash smiled sheepishly at the praise. "Well...I'm actually tied with Red for the youngest winner. Plus, Red actually went on the beat the champion so..."

"But you were a month or so younger than Red was when he won, that's what the papers said at least. So technically, you _are_ the youngest ever winner. Though, Red still is the youngest champion." Max explained, embarrassing Ash even more.

"I guess you're right then. And to answer your question Norman, it's cool. It's really cool. But to be honest, I don't battle to be in the record books, or to make money or anything like that. I do it because I love it and I want to be the best at it. And to do that, I have to win Pokemon Leagues all over the world, so that's what I'm going to do. And if I manage to do some cool things along the way, then so be it. But me and my pokemon battle because we love to. No other reason." Ash told the father.

"Pika!" Pikachu added happily. He was sitting next to Torchic on a pillow off to the side of the room, still fairly close to the table.

Norman appeared to be more than satisfied with Ash's answer. "And that's the only reason you should battle. Because you love it. That's why I was so surprised when you said you wanted to finally become a trainer, May. I never expected you to want to pick up battling after how much you hated all things pokemon growing up."

May smiled awkwardly and pushed around the food on her plate. Ash was confused at first by the semi-discreet reaction before he realized exactly why she was acting this way.

Her parents still didn't know the real reason behind her journey. For all they knew, she was going to take on gyms, and enter the Hoenn League. And while May was much more comfortable about the true intention behind her journey, she still feared telling her parents, her father especially.

Battling was a very big part of the Maple household. Their last name was known throughout the region, with it being synonymous with one of the strongest trainers in Hoenn. When you were a Maple, you were expected to be a great trainer.

And every time May thought about telling her parents, the image of her father's ecstatic expression when she'd told him she was going to be a trainer like him would flash across her mind. She was so scared of disappointing him, of never seeing him that happy again.

May recovered from her uncomfortableness quickly, not letting anyone but Ash, and also Brock, see it. Ash told himself right then that he needed to have a talk with May about this topic at some point soon. She'd helped him alleviate some of his fears, and Ash wanted nothing more than to do the same for her.

"Yeah, dad. I guess after being around it all my life, I finally just felt the desire to take the plunge." May lied through her teeth. She hated doing this to her parents, but her fear was simply too overwhelming for her to even consider the truth at the moment.

"That's really great, honey. I'm so proud of you." Norman said as Caroline smiled.

Despite the kindness behind what her father had said, his words struck her heart hard.

" _Are you still going to be proud of me when you find out I've been lying to you...?"_ This is the question that rang out in May's mind every time this topic would come up, and now was no different.

And the only answer she had to this question was that she didn't know. And she wouldn't until she told them. Would her dad still be proud of her once he found out the truth? She really hoped so...

May quickly pushed the topic out of her mind, not wanting to have this wonderful dinner sullied by something that didn't need to be dealt with right now. Everyone noticed that both Ash and May had slowed their eating greatly during this conversation, but no one thought much of it other than Brock.

Because he knew the whole situation, he knew what was going through his two friend's minds. May was obviously still worried about her parents finding out about her secret, and Ash was very much concerned for the girl. Though, he noticed that they both managed to push past it fairly quickly. Though before they did completely, Ash shot Brock a look that he read clearly; Ash was going to handle this later.

Immediately after Brock nodded discreetly in response to Ash's look, Norman addressed Ash once again. "You know, I wish that every trainer had your mindset, Ash. Of course, most of the people I face simply love pokemon and the competition that battling provides for them. But every once in a while, I face someone who is so obviously in it for all the wrong reasons. And it seems that those people are starting to pop up more and more frequently these days."

Ash nodded solemnly at the man's words. It was very much true what he was saying. Over the course of his journey, Ash had run into a few people who were clearly using pokemon as nothing but an avenue to achieve fame and riches. Of course, these trainers almost never actually succeeded in doing so. In Ash's mind, this was because they didn't have a deep bond with their pokemon. Without that, there was no way to be successful.

"I know what you mean, Norman. I actually had a...friend like that. His name is Gary Oak." Ash revealed. Both May and Brock realized why Ash had hesitated on what to call the man as they heard Gay's name. Though, it was easy to tell Ash loved being able to call Gary a friend once again.

"Gary Oak? Isn't he the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak?" Norman questioned, earning a nod from Ash. Oak was a last name even more famous than Maple, with it being widely known in almost every region across the world.

Ash was about to respond, but was beaten to the punch by Max. "Yeah dad, that's him. And Ash beat him the quarterfinals of the Indigo League. Ash really put him in his place!"

That match was one of Max's favorites as before the battle, a video package was played which showed a bit about the history the two shared; both Ash and Gary wondered where they'd found all of this information, but it was mostly accurate. And those stories really did not paint Gary in a good light. So seeing Ash beat him was satisfying for most everyone watching.

Max especially loved the standoff between Ash's Charizard and Gary's Blastoise. That battle was surely something people would be talking about for generations.

Everyone chuckled at the boy's excitement before Ash continued on. "He was my friend, but he changed at some point when we were kids. Things like money and fame became more important to him than anything. He really let the 'Oak' name get to his head. I'm convinced that he started his journey simply to gain more recognition for himself. Even his grandfather saw it. But after I beat him in the Indigo League, he realized what he was doing wasn't right. That he should be doing this only because he loved it."

"That's nice to hear. I'm glad he sorted himself out. So what is he doing now?" It was Caroline who'd spoken up this time.

"He decided to head to Johto and see if training, _real_ training, is still in his heart. But Professor Oak has been telling me that lately, he's been showing a lot of interest in researching pokemon. All signs point to him following in his grandfather's footsteps." Ash responded happily. Ash had a very good feeling that Gary wouldn't be an 'official' trainer for much longer. Gary loved his pokemon, but Ash could tell that his friend's heart was in researching pokemon, not battling with them.

"Well that's great to hear! Looks like Kanto is already grooming their next great professor!" Norman spoke happily. Now that this conversation was complete, Norman continued holding the reigns and turned his head to face Brock. "So what's your goal, Brock? What do you hope to accomplish in your life?"

Norman very much wanted to know about the man in question. He got a good vibe off of him, and the fact that both Ash and May seemed to think so highly of him made the older man incredibly comfortable with Brock being around their family. Plus while cooking dinner, Brock and Caroline had gotten along extremely well.

"My dream is to become the world's greatest pokemon breeder." Brock revealed earning and approving nod from the others present.

"After talking with you while making dinner, that definitely seems fitting for you, Brock." Caroline added, causing the tanned man to smile and nod his head.

While this exchange happened, Norman was mulling over the name Brock Harrison. He swore he'd heard it before.

"Have we ever met before, Brock? Your name sounds really familiar for some reason." Norman question the man, whom immediately knew where he was most likely recognized from.

"Actually Norman, before I started my journey with Ash, I was the Pewter City gym leader in Kanto." Brock told the father causing a look of realization to overcome his face.

Even thought they were in different regions, all gym leaders typically, at the very least, knew of each other. And once every few years, the International Pokemon League Association would have all of the gym leaders come together in one spot for a convention of sorts.

"Oh, that clears it up then." Norman started, earning another nod from the man. "So why exactly did you leave Pewter? Did you just feel it was time to pursue your true goal?"

"Actually yeah, that's pretty much it. I realized that I had to chase my dream after I met Ash. He really talked me into it. Also at around the same time Ash came into my life, my father finally returned from years of absence so that he could take over the gym as well as take care of my brothers and sisters. The timing really couldn't have been better. And ever since, I've been on the road with Ash, learning and experiencing things that will most definitely help me become a breeder one day." Brock finished, very happy with how things had turned out; he loved traveling around the world with his best friend more than anything in the world.

Once Brock finished, Caroline turned her gaze to Ash and smiled sweetly. "It seems you have quite a way with people, don't you Ash?"

After everything May had told her about Ash, Caroline was already very sure that Ash was very much a people person. And Brock's revelation helped cement that assumption. Hell, even Caroline felt it. Ash's personality was just something people were drawn to. He gave off an aura that told people that they could trust him.

Ash smiled sheepishly and blushed slightly at the praise. "Oh, I don't know about that. All I do is say what's on my mind...what's in my heart."

"Well whatever it is, it seems to be working for you." Caroline teased in response, causing the table giggle.

After the mother spoke, a momentary silence fell over the table. Everyone still had food on their plates, even Ash and May who were being surprisingly tame in their eating. Everyone assumed that they were trying to be more civil and polite as they were all talking with each other; the constant conversation didn't really give them much time to simply inhale their food as they normally would.

"Sorry if this feels like some sort of an interrogation to you two, we just want to know more about May's new friends." Caroline apologized as both herself and Norman had more questions for the boys. Both Ash and Brock waved it off and said that it was fine, encouraging the woman to continue.

"So...is there a special lady in either of your lives?" Caroline questioned, a teasing glint in her eye. Despite this, she actually was curious.

May nearly choked at the question. Despite knowing the answer, the idea still frightened her. She was really enjoying the feeling she was having and she didn't want them to be forced to end before they could even have a chance to possibly grow into something more.

Ash was also very surprised by the question, actually coughing as he did choke on his food. He took a sip of his water before responding. "Oh, no. That hasn't happened for me yet."

"I'm also not seeing anyone at the moment. It'd be hard to keep up a relationship when you're on the road away from them all the time anyway." Brock added, answering himself.

While May was enjoying the relief that came with Ash's answer to the question, Norman's mind was elsewhere. Before he spoke his face steeled and his expression became hard as he caught Ash's gaze

"I'm sure there's a lot of attention that comes along with winning a Pokemon League. A lot of _female_ attention, to be precise. So tell me, you ever...'indulge'... with your fans?" Norman questioned, using a fatherly, intimidating tone. He had many reasons to believe that Ash was a great person and he truly thought that he was, but a father's work was never done; he had to ask this just to be sure.

May once again found herself hating the idea of the attention that surely came along with winning a pokemon league. Though, she calmed herself down immediately as she knew that Ash wasn't the type of person who'd take advantage of that. Instead, she was curious as to how Ash would respond to her father trying to use intimidation against him. She was also slightly angry at her dad for even insinuating that Ash would do such a thing.

Ash didn't falter at the question nor the hard stare. Instead, he kept his gaze locked with the older man and spoke respectfully. "No, sir. I won't lie and tell you that I haven't received female attention because of my accomplishment, but I would never do something like what you're insinuating. I'm not one for that sort of lifestyle, and I never will be. Whenever the time comes, I want to find someone that I can love with all of my heart, a woman who loves me for me, not just what I've done in my life. And when I find that woman, I plan on treating her like a queen for the rest of my life, sir."

Ash thought it appropriate to use 'sir' rather than 'Norman' given the tone of the conversation. Everyone listened intently to what the raven haired trainer had to say, with many being blown away by his answer. Everyone assumed that he wasn't that type of person, but his response was more than was needed to reassure even the most doubtful of people.

May smiled warmly at Ash's words as she stared at him. This was exactly what she would've expected out of Ash. And she didn't doubt a word of what he was saying. If this is how he treated her when they weren't even together, May was positively bubbling at the thought of what a relationship with him would be like. Just the thought made her incredibly giddy. This was noticed by Caroline, whom smiled knowingly.

The two men kept up their gazes for a few moments after Ash's response. It seemed neither would give in. That is, until a smile finally found its way back to Norman face as he laughed heartily.

"I'm glad to hear that, Ash. I didn't think that was the kind of person you are, but I had to ask just to be sure. It's just part of being a parent." Norman explained, causing Ash to smile and nod.

"I understand, Norman. I have nothing to hide, so you can ask me anything you'd like." Ash responded kindly, letting the Maple family know that for the most part, he was an open book. If they wanted to ask him things in order to test his character, then he had no problem answering them.

Taking the younger man up on his offer, Norman found something he wanted to ask the raven haired trainer; he was planning to take the direction in, what he thought, was going to be a more lighthearted direction.

"So, Ash." Norman started, drawing everyone's attention, though his gaze was locked solely on Ash. "Who was it that first introduced you to pokemon? Was it your mother? Your father?"

When Norman said the final word of his sentence, Ash dropped his silverware onto the table. His breathing hitched in his throat and his eyes instantly found their way to his plate as his face noticeably dropped. He knew he shouldn't be reacting like this but after having just recently told May about his father, old emotions had been swimming around in his head, making it an even more sensitive topic than normal, especially since it'd come up from so out of the blue.

Everyone was worried about how the man was reacting. It was obvious that he was in emotional distress, but they couldn't even begin to guess why that was. The only two that knew for sure were May and Brock. They were just as surprised as Ash that his father had come up, though they knew it wasn't exactly something that would never be talked about.

Both of his close friends became exceedingly worried about Ash's mental state, but didn't know what to do at the moment. Everyone just sat in silence for a few seconds as Ash tried to collect himself.

It was almost 10 seconds later that Ash appeared to try t force himself out of whatever funk he was in. His eyes never left his plate, but he did put on a very obviously forced smile before speaking.

"Um, y-yeah. Actually it was... my father..." As Ash spoke, it seemed that he couldn't even keep up the fake smile anymore as his face darkened once again. Ash then forced his head up to meet Caroline's eyes, trying his best to sound chipper, but failing miserably. "Would you mind pointing me in the direction of the restroom?"

Caroline was stuck in a trance caused by her confusion and worry for the boy when Ash's words snapped her out of it. "Oh, um, go down the hall, turn left at the corner and it's the first door on your left."

After Caroline gave him the directions, Ash nodded his head gratefully and momentarily brought up his forced smile once again. "Excuse me..."

With that said, Ash stood from his chair and marched his way to the restroom. Everyone watched with sadness and worry as the boy walked out of sight. Pikachu was heartbroken, but sensed that his trainer wanted to be alone for a few moments. Torchic tried her best to comfort her friend, but was having a hard time doing so

Once Ash turned the corner, both May and Caroline shot daggers Norman's way.

The father put his hands up in defense, his face a mixture of shock and confusion. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what I did!"

After Norman defended himself, both May and Caroline allowed their expressions to soften before once again becoming overcome with concern.

"Is he gonna be okay...?" Max asked timidly, hoping that the question was appropriate. He was very much concerned over what'd just happened and why the man whom he admired greatly reacted the way he did to seemingly nothing.

Brock let out a sigh before responding, knowing it would be best to explain at least something. "He'll be fine, and it's not your fault, Norman. Ash's father is just...a sensitive topic."

Brock's slow words finally made the three other Maple's understand why Ash had reacted the way he did.

"...Can I ask what happened...?" Norman threw out the question, allowing his curiosity to get the better of him. Caroline immediately returned her sharp looked toward her husband, angry that he'd even asked such a thing.

"Dad, that's Ash's story to tell, no one else's. Brock was the only person that Ash had ever told until he told me. Ash trusted me with his deepest secret after barely a week of knowing each other. That means the world to me, and I will never betray his trust. And I know that Brock won't either" May explained to her family, her voice strong.

They were surprised to hear that Ash had told their daughter what'd happened with his father after it was revealed that he'd only ever told one other person. This illustrated just how deeply the two had connected, and how strong their bond already was. They truly were already best friends.

"You're right, sweetie. I apologize..." Norman spoke sincerely, earning a nod from her daughter. His words also caused his wife to stop shooting a sharp glare at the man, seeing that he was regretful.

May then stood from her chair and addressed the others. "I'm gonna go talk to him. He needs someone to help him through this. Are you going to come, Brock?"

"I think this is a situation where the less people around, the better. We really don't want to overwhelm him when his emotions are all over the place like they are. And I know you can handle this. What you have to say means a lot to him." Brock told the brunette, who nodded in understanding.

May then turned and walked to the bathroom, leaving Brock and her family sitting in silence, mulling over their thoughts.

* * *

 **A/N: And there's chapter 12! I hope you enjoyed. Sorry this came out later than usual, I had to move in to college and the first couple of days are always hectic. Also, make sure to vote in the poll on my profile. It will effect the story a pretty good amount, so please do it! See ya**


	13. Pain

How to Change a Life

Once Ash turned the corner, he picked up the speed of his strides to almost a light jog. His emotions were beginning to overwhelm him and he wanted to get to the restroom so that he could do something that would hopefully help him calm himself.

Ash quickly entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him, and turned on the cold water faucet. He then brought his face down and began splashing the water onto his face. He let his breaths become deeper and deeper as for some reason, his emotions had rendered him temporarily breathless.

After a few moments of doing this and finally recapturing his breath, he looked up to the mirror in front of him, his hands holding himself up on either side of the sink.

Still taking deep breaths in order to keep his newly reclaimed breath, he looked at himself. He inadvertently studied his face, noticing every detail. He hated it, but he could always see it...

He could always see his father in himself.

While he had gotten most of his facial features from his mother, Ash could still see traces of what he remembered his father to look like. Just the thought alone made him sick to his stomach. He hated that when he was in a state like this, even the sight of his own face made him incredibly angry.

In reality, his face looked much more like his mothers's than his father's, but Ash's mind was never rational when he was under this kind of emotional duress.

After a few moments, he forced himself to look straight into his own eyes. This was the one thing that he could never see his father in. As they say, the eyes are the window to the soul, and Ash found that to be incredibly true. And Ash kept his soul pure and untainted, while his father couldn't say the same. His eyes were his own, the one thing that always served to remind him that he wasn't his father.

Though when in this state of mind, his eyes would always drift back to the small details that reminded him most of the man who walked out on them so long ago.

Ash was lost looking in his own reflection when he heard a soft knock on the door, causing him to jump slightly.

"Ash...?" The young trainer immediately recognized the soft voice to be May's. "Ash...are you okay...?"

Before Ash even thought about responding, he quickly grabbed the hand towel hanging from a rack next to him and dried his face.

Ash didn't respond verbally, which worried May immensely. She was about to speak again when she noticed the door begin to open. She saw Ash on the other side, whom was returning to his previous position at the sink. May could tell that he was inviting her into the large bathroom, so she entered and closed the door behind her.

May moved slowly until she stood directly next to Ash in front of the mirror. She quickly realized that Ash wouldn't look at her, so she met the man's gaze in the mirror.

"Ash...please tell me you're okay..." May pleaded with the man, feeling her own emotions welling up inside of her; Ash's pain seemed to be hurting her almost as much as it did him. Though, she forced these negative emotions back, knowing she needed to stay strong for Ash right now.

Ash didn't respond for a few moments, instead he simply kept his gaze locked with May's in the mirror. Though after just a few seconds, he let out a sigh and dropped his head before lifting it again and turning to face May, meeting her real gaze.

He showed her a weak smile. It was weak, but it was real, May noticed.

"I'm okay, May. Really..." Ash told the woman softly, truthfulness evident in his voice. Knowing this was a terrible place to be having what could be considered a bit of a breakdown, he was trying to force himself past it.

Seeing that May was still looking at him with an incredible amount of concern, he continued. "Normally, I wouldn't react this strongly to just a passing mention of him. I'm usually at least semi-okay when someone brings up my father. But with everything that's happened, and because I talked about it so recently, hearing him mentioned just brought back some old feelings."

As he finished speaking, he immediately realized that what he said might give May the wrong idea. "But please don't misinterpret what I said. I don't regret telling you in the slightest. You're my best friend, and I want you to know everything about me. So please, don't think that I meant it that way."

May smiled softly at the man's words. "I know, Ash. And I'm so glad that you told me. I want you to know everything about me as well. But right now, all I want is for you to be okay..."

The concern coating May's words warmed his heart and comforted him a bit. He felt that he wanted to get a few things off of his chest, and he knew that May would be here to listen.

Ash let out another deep sigh before beginning. "Like I said, some old feelings have resurfaced. Just a lot of very powerful, very negative emotions. I'm usually decent at controlling them, but for some reason, it just hit me harder than normal today."

Ash then turned his gaze off of May and brought it back to the mirror, with May following his lead.

Ash shook his head as he spoke again. "And lately, every time I look into a mirror...all I see is my dad. I know that I'm not him, and that I will never be like him, but seeing the similarities between us makes my blood boil."

Ash felt the anger rising in his body once again and clenched his fists tightly. Seeing this, May reached for his right hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, causing him to release the tight grip.

As much as May's touch comforted him, he needed this hand to dig through his pocket to find something; he had something he wanted to do. May noticed him reach into the back pocket of his pants. Having never seen him do this before, she had no idea what Ash was searching for.

It wasn't long before Ash pulled out what looked to be an old, folded up picture. Unfolding it, he handed it to May.

"Here, take a look...You see the similarities, right?" Ash questioned. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, but he felt that he had to for some reason.

May studied the picture after Ash asked his question, her eyes widening just slightly as she realized what it was of. It was a family photo, of Ash, an even younger looking Delia...and a man May could only assume was Ash's father. They had the same hair color and style, which was the biggest indicator that he was Ash's dad.

"Ash?" May lifted her gaze from the picture and looked to Ash, who was already looking at her. "Why do you keep this with you?"

May was curious as to why Ash would keep a reminder of the man whom he hated so much on his person at what she assumed to be at all times.

Ash let out a dark chuckle and shook his head, looking back into the mirror. Though, he seemed to be looking through it rather than in it.

"As much as I hate that bastard for what he did, for some _stupid_ reason...I still find myself wishing sometimes. Hoping that someday...we might be able to be a family again. All of us." Ash spoke solemnly, hating himself for caring about his father at all.

May felt tears building up in her eyes as she listened to what Ash had to say. She couldn't even imagine how hard it would be to grow up without a father. To hate someone that you're conditioned to love. And May could clearly tell that Ash hated the fact that he still held out hope for his father, and that broke her heart even further.

"Well...you see it, right?" Ash asked the brunette, looking at himself in the mirror once again while referring to how him and his father looked alike. Then, he motioned toward his reflection in the mirror. "What do you see...?"

Bringing out the old family photograph had made Ash lose the hold he was starting to regain on his emotions. He didn't know why he did it, but he truly felt that he had to.

May sniffled and wiped the corners of her eyes, trying to compose herself so that she'd be able to help Ash. May then studied the picture for a few moments, looking at the face of Ash's father, studying it. Admittedly, she could see some similarities such as their hair color, but she could see much more of Delia in him than his father, at least in terms of physical features. But May knew that this was deeper than that. That it represented so much more than just physical characteristics...

At this moment she found what she wanted to say. She just hoped it would be able to help her best friend. May looked from the picture and met Ash's gaze in the mirror once again.

"You wanna know what I see when I look at you...?" May asked rhetorically, pausing for just a moment to gather her thoughts completely. "When I look at you, I see a million different things...Strength, courage, selflessness, enthusiasm, joyfulness, a wonderfully kind person...a handsome man...Ash, what I see when I look at you, when anyone looks at you, are all of the qualities you have that make you the amazing person that you are. So maybe your dad and you share some features, but that doesn't mean anything, and you should know that."

May paused herself and forced Ash's body to turn and face her so that they were looking into each others eyes instead of doing as such in the mirror.

"Ash, you're father made the biggest mistake of his life by leaving...because now, he'll never get to see the absolutely incredible man you've become." May spoke softly and sweetly, her words coming from the deepest part of her heart. Knowing that the mood was extremely heavy, May allowed herself to giggle and joke a bit. "And besides, you look much more like your mother anyway. And good thing too, since she was able to give you at least _some_ of her good looks."

Ash couldn't help but let out a chuckle at Mays words, lifting both his own, and May's spirits. Ash was feeling a million times better after hearing what May had said. She just had a way with words with him, just as he did with her. For some reason, the two understood each other perfectly, and that was a recipe for success when one of them was in need.

"You know, before I met you, I almost never talked about what I was dealing with, what I was feeling. Like my mom said, for so long I was so focused on everyone else that I let myself forget that sometimes, I need help too. And it wasn't due to lack of people to talk to...I just never brought it up for some reason. But with you...I don't know what it is. You just get things out of me that no one else ever has." Ash spoke softly, his eyes's locked with May's. "And god am I thankful for that."

When Ash finished speaking, he moved himself forward and captured May in an embrace. May didn't hesitate for a second as if he hadn't done it when he did, she was about to hug him. The two stayed like that for a good while, simply enjoying each other's comforting touch and presence.

While still in the hug, Ash had something he very much wanted to say. "I am so glad that I met you, May Maple."

May smiled brightly into Ash's chest at the man's words before pulling her head back just slightly so that her words wouldn't be muffled. "And I am so glad that I met you, Ash Ketchum."

The two remained in their embrace for a few moments longer. Ash, much like May, wanted to get over the heavy mood that still hung in the air. So, with a teasing tone, Ash spoke. "So...you think I'm handsome, eh?"

May chuckled into his chest, her face going slightly red, before finally releasing the man and slapping him on the arm. The two shared a short laugh before Ash's face fell soft, yet serious once again.

"Because I think you're beautiful, May. Both inside and out." Ash spoke sincerely, causing the blush to return to May's face incredibly quickly.

While Ash had called her beautiful before, this time he'd not only complimented her appearance, but also her character and personality, and that meant the world to her. Ash's words successfully made May feel truly beautiful.

May shook her head and laughed at the sappy comment, though Ash knew that she very much appreciated it.

"Come on cheese ball, I'm sure the others are worried." May teased him over his 'cheesy' line as she pulled one of Ash's arms to get him moving.

Everyone in the kitchen was relieved when they saw both Ash and May returning, both appearing to be in a much better state than they were when they left. Ash especially had done a complete 180, he actually had a smile on his face. Though, that smile was a very apologetic one.

The two returned to their seats and before anyone could say anything, Ash spoke up. "I'm very sorry for what just happened. Norman, Max, Caroline, I shouldn't have allowed my emotions to get the better of me, especially since you've opened up your home to me. I am truly sorry for ruining this lovely dinner that you and Brock worked so hard on." Ash bowed and spoke sincerely, truly feeling bad about what'd happened.

Neither Norman nor Caroline could believe he was actually apologizing for this. But the look on his face and the manner in which he'd spoken told them that he was being entirely sincere with his apology. Caroline couldn't help but giggle, once again incredibly impressed by the man's character.

"Ash, please don't apologize. It's not your fault. And you didn't ruin anything, I promise." Caroline reassured the boy in a motherly tone, earning a thankful smile from Ash.

"Caroline is right, you have nothing to apologize for." Norman added, causing all eyes to fall on him. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm sorry for bringing up a sensitive topic. I just didn't know."

Ash smiled gratefully at the father before shaking his head. "It's okay, Norman, you don't have to apologize. There was no way you could've known."

Norman nodded and shot a thankful gaze Ash's way, earning a nod in response. It was then that Brock decided to ask Ash a question that'd been on his mind since he left for the restroom.

"Ash, why did you react so strongly this time? I mean, there's always some reaction whenever _he_ comes up, but you're usually over it after just a few seconds." Brock explained his thought process, causing Ash to sigh.

"You can say the word 'father', I'm okay now. And to answer your question, it's just been on my mind more than usual as of late. After the accident and telling May the whole story, some old emotions resurfaced and made it hard to be reminded of him." Ash revealed to Brock while everyone else listened in. "But I'm getting past that now, all thanks to May."

The two close friends shared a smile. May was incredibly glad that she could be there for him as he was for her.

"Well I'm glad that you're able to move past it." Caroline spoke happily. Though, like Norman and Max, they were very curious as to what Ash's father had done to make him feel the way he did when he would be brought up.

Ash, feeling comfortable now that he was back in control of himself, was pondering as to if he should reveal to the Maple's what'd happened in his past, his most private story. His heart was telling him that being able to talk about it openly would help him move past it for good. It'd been over 13 years since his father left, and he didn't want his terrible act to keep a hold of him any longer.

"I think it's only fair that you know why my father is such a sensitive topic with me..." Ash said, breaking the momentary silence. Both Brock and May's eyes widened in surprise, wondering why he was thinking this; they were the only two people he'd ever told since it'd happened all those years ago but now, it seemed that he had no problem telling others.

"Ash, it's okay. You really don't have to tell us..." Caroline spoke for herself, as well as her family. The last thing any of them wanted was for Ash to be uncomfortable, and they were worried that he might be feeling pressured into telling them for some reason.

Ash smiled gratefully at the mother of two before nodding his head. "I know, Caroline. But I want to tell you. I can't let what happened keep this hold on me forever. I've been taking small steps to get past this whole life, and I think me being more open about it is one of the final things I have to do. Plus, you're May's family and I trust her with my life, which means I trust you all as well."

May smiled warmly at Ash's words. Everyone accepted his reasoning, with May and Brock finally understanding why he was willing to share. Both friends smiled toothlessly at the courage Ash was showing. He was facing what he feared most head on, and they knew that this would help him take back total control of his feelings.

"I'll spare you the more unimportant details. There's a lot I could say, but there's really no need." Ash prefaced. He then took a long, deep breath before continuing. "When I was 6 years old, my father walked out on my mom and I. He abandoned us..."

The three who hadn't known the story gasped at the revelation. The topic of Ash's father hadn't come up during her conversation with Delia earlier that week; herself and Norman simply assumed that they were either divorced, or he just couldn't come all the way to Hoenn at the time.

"To this day, I still don't know why he did it, and I think that's a big part of why I haven't been able to get past it yet." Ash rationalized, everyone understanding his reasoning. "But I know I'll probably never get closure, and I've accepted that now. But it doesn't matter, because I'm not going to let the man who abandoned the family he supposedly loved have any control over my life anymore. I don't have any family other than my mother, but my mom and I have each other, and that's always been enough for us."

Ash finished speaking with conviction, instantly becoming glad that he was now able to have this mindset. He was already feeling better about the whole thing. Of course it was going to take some more time, but this was a huge step, and Ash knew that.

"I'm so sorry you had to experience that, Ash. No one should have to go through something like that, especially at such a young age." Max offered his condolences. The young man couldn't even begin to imagine life without his father.

"You're right, Ash." Caroline started, gaining the attention of everyone at the table. "You and your mother are obviously very close, but she's not you're only family, you know...?"

Most everyone was confused by what Caroline had said, save for one person, Ash, who could tell what she meant by her statement.

Ash smiled toothlessly and smiled at the woman. "You're right. I've met a lot great people during my travels. People that have become my closest friends...my family. And I'm so happy to say that I have two of those people here with me right now."

Ash words made the others realize the meaning behind Caroline's words. Both Brock and May smiled at what Ash had to say, knowing that he was referring to them. Obviously, they weren't related by blood, but their bonds were just as deep as family, and that was all that mattered.

"And you're always welcome in our home, Ash. You too, Brock." Norman told the men.

Caroline and May found themselves surprised by the man's words. Even despite the fact that they knew he liked both men, Ash especially, hearing him say something like this was still very much unlike him. This was especially true considering Ash was a boy around May's age.

"If you're ever in the area, and you need anything at all, you can always come here. You've proven yourself to have a pure heart and to be a very genuine, respectful person. You saved my daughter's life, almost losing yours in the process. You're a good man Ash, and you'll always be welcome here." Norman finished his face conveying his sincerity.

Brock wasn't offended in the slightest that Norman had only said these things to Ash. After all he'd done for their family, he understood completely. Plus, he was aware that this invitation extended to him as well.

Ash smiled at the head of the Maple household and nodded his head gratefully. He wasn't going to lie, sometimes it was hard having only his mother to rely on, especially when he was younger and had almost no friends.

But now, he had met so many wonderful people that truly cared about him. He knew it wasn't just him and his mom anymore, his family had expanded immensely, and would only continue to grow as time went on.

May, Caroline and Max smiled at Norman's words. It was a bit strange as Norman wasn't exactly known for his way with words nor his way with people in general but this time, he'd said all that needed to be said.

"You have no idea how grateful I am for that, Norman. Thank you. Thank all of you. You've made me feel incredibly welcomed, and I can't thank you enough for that. You're a wonderful family full of equally wonderful people, and I'm glad that I got the chance to meet all of you." Ash spoke sincerely, feeling a bit emotional. Both Caroline and May found their own emotions growing as they heard the emotion in Ash's own voice.

"Who would've though that falling off of that cliff would turn out to be one of the best things that's ever happened to me." Ash said truthfully, causing everyone to laugh, including himself.

"I've already told you this Ash, but I'll say it again. The day I met you turned out to be the greatest day of my life, and that's all thanks to you." May told the raven haired trainer, the both of them sharing a soft smile.

Everyone smiled at what turned out to be an incredibly sentimental moment before finally returning to their dinners.

"Now, come on. Brock and I didn't make all of this food just to let it go to waste! Show us those famous stomachs of yours." Caroline teased at May and Ash, breaking the two out of their gaze. They were both happy to comply as they returned to their food and began wolfing it down.

"So, Max. You're father and I are going to be having a battle tomorrow. I thought that might be something you'd be interested in seeing." Ash revealed to the young man, knowing it would excite him immensely.

Everyone chuckled as Max's eyes lit up at the news.

"That is going to be so awesome! I can't wait to watch that!" Max exclaimed before pausing and looking toward his father. "Are you exempting him from the badge requirement?"

Norman shook his head at his son's question. "No Max, the league wouldn't allow that. It's just gonna be a friendly exhibition battle. Just a 2 on 2, nothing fancy."

Max seemed to be becoming more excited as time went on. The boy then turned back to Ash. "What pokemon are you going to use!?"

"Sorry Max, but I can't tell you that. It would ruin the surprise." Ash teased, causing the boy to pout. Everyone giggled at the look. "Let's just say that since you watched me in the Indigo League, you may be seeing a familiar face or two..."

Ash's discreet revelation caused Max's face to pick back up as he tried to figure out what pokemon Ash would be using. He did this for just a few moments before calming himself down crossing his arms and shooting a confident smirk toward Ash.

"I guess it doesn't really matter in the end. Either way, my dad is going to take you down! You're good, but definitely not good enough to beat my dad." Max spoke confidently, causing his father to sweatdrop.

Ash simply chuckled at the boy's words, but May found herself becoming defensive over Ash and his abilities as a trainer.

"You're wrong, Max! Ash is more than good enough to beat dad, and he's going to do just that! Just you wait!" May retorted back to her brother, causing him to stare at her in a mixture of shock and anger.

"You're gonna root for Ash over dad!?" Max asked incredulously. Despite liking Ash, Max couldn't help but feel like this was like a betrayal to the family. Though, he was the only one who felt this way; his admiration of his father was clearly the driving factor behind this feeling.

"So what if I am?" May responded back. Everyone could tell that another bickering session between the siblings was on the horizon.

"I know Ash is your best friend, but dad is...your dad! How could yo-"

"Max, calm down. It's fine." Norman cut his son off, hoping to stop this before it started.

Max looked his dad with confusion. "But dad, it's-"

"Max...It's okay. Ash and May are very close friends, and she just wants to see her friend succeed. And frankly, I'm just excited to battle him. I haven't had a worthy opponent in a while. Win or lose, it's going to be an incredible battle." Norman cut off his son once again, really trying to ingrain into his son's mind that it didn't matter who anyone was rooting for in the match. All that mattered was the thrill of the battle, the love for the sport.

Max begrudgingly accepted his father's words, still feeling that May should be rooting for her own father, no matter how much she cared about Ash. Though, he supposed he would just have to root extra hard for his father if May was going to jump ship to Ash's team. And besides, he was now simply looking forward to what was going to be a fantastic battle.

Once Norman finished speaking to his son, Ash smirked at the older man. "I'm honored that you think I'm a worthy opponent. And you'll see just how 'worthy' I am tomorrow."

Norman met the man with a confident smirk of his own, very much enjoying the sense of competition. "We'll just have to see about that, now won't we."

The two stared at each other competitively for a few more moments before they were broken out of their stare off by the voice of Caroline.

"Oh enough you two." Caroline started jokingly. "No competition at the dinner table."

Everyone laughed at the mother's words before they returned to their meals. By this time, everyone was just finishing up.

"I must say, you guys really outdid yourself with this dinner." May said, referring to Brock and Caroline.

"I owe a lot of that to Brock. He really knows his way around a kitchen." Caroline complimented the man.

"Hey, when you grow up taking care of as many brothers and sisters as I did, you're forced to learn pretty quick." Brock revealed, earning another laugh from the table

"Well, I have to go clean up the gym and prep it for tomorrow. Brock, Ash, would you care to join Max and I?" Norman offered the two men, who happily accepted the offer.

Though before they could leave the table, both Ash and Brock realized that they had to take care of the dish situation first.

"How about we meet you out there after we help clean up the dishes?" Brock questioned, not wanting to simply leave the mess on the table for the girls.

"Yeah, we can't just leave our stuff here for Caroline and May to deal with." Ash added.

Both Caroline and May smiled at the sentiment, but this was typically how it went before May'd left for her journey. After dinner, Max and Norman would go fix up the gym while Carline and May would handle the dishes. Though when Norman had a day off the following day, he would take over dish duty to give Caroline and May a break.

"I appreciate the offer to help, but there's really no need. You guys go help in the gym. May and I can handle this." Caroline insisted to the boys.

"Are you sure?" Ash asked, just to be completely certain.

"Yeah, it's no big deal. Plus, prepping the gym is quite a bit of work, so having an couple extra sets of hands will surely help get the job done faster than normal." May added. She'd had to help prep the gym a few times before and she did not enjoy it in the slightest. It could be fairly labor intensive at times, and that was not something she wanted right after she'd eaten an incredible amount of food. It was safe to say that May very much preferred dish duty.

After receiving confirmation, both Ash and Brock nodded their heads and stood to follow Norman and Max to the gym.

Once they were out of sight, Caroline and May went to work clearing the table. It wasn't too long before all the dishes were in the sink, ready to be scrubbed. It was mundane work, which left plenty of time to talk to each other.

"So what did you say to Ash when you went off to talk to him?" Caroline questioned, having been wondering this since they'd come back from the restroom. Whatever it was, it'd obviously worked very well.

May smiled at her mother's question as she worked on drying a glass. "I just said some things that he needed to hear. I don't know why or how, but Ash and I are just connected somehow, and _very_ deeply. It's like we both always know the exact right thing to say to each other when we need to hear it the most."

Caroline smiled at her daughter's explanation. It was incredibly obvious that they two were connected in some way on a deep level, and Caroline was more than happy of this.

"He's been able to help me a lot. And not just with the whole saving my life thing...Like I said, it just seems like we know what to say to each other, and he's said those things for me as much as I have for him, plus so much more." May continued before her mother could speak. May smiled sweetly as she remembered all the great times herself and Ash had already had, even if most of those moments had taken place in a hospital room.

"Well, he's clearly a very good person. And he's a handsome young thing too." Caroline teased, causing May to blush just slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by her mother. "People like Ash are hard to find these days. I'm glad that you're close with someone like him."

May nodded her head at her mother's words, the smile never leaving her features. "Me too. I've never met anyone like him. He really is one of a kind."

"So... you really like him, huh?" Caroline asked knowingly, smirking all the while.

There were very clear implications behind the her mother's words, but May tried her best to ignore them.

"O-Of course I do. I mean, he did save my life. And he's the first person I can really call a best friend..." May responded, playing dense in what was an almost comically unsuccessful attempt.

"You know what I mean, May. You really _like_ him, don't you...?" Caroline asked again, this time putting emphasis on the key word. Seeing that May wasn't responding, Caroline gave her daughter a bit of a push. "Come on May, it's me. You used to tell me everything. You know whatever you say to me stays between us, no matter what."

May processed her mother's words, knowing that she was right. Her mother was always her confidant growing up; she would tell her almost everything, only excluding her true intentions behind her journey.

After realizing this, May allowed a smile to return to her red face as she chuckled and shook her head. "You know, you're like the third person to figure it out...?"

"The others are Delia and Brock I assume?" Caroline asked almost rhetorically, earning a nod from May. "For me and Delia, you can chalk it up to mother's intuition. And I can already tell that Brock is a perceptive person, so that makes sense as well."

May simply giggled once again at her mother's words before her smile turned soft and sweet and she stopped drying off the plate that was currently in her hand.

"Yes, mom... I do. I really, really _like_ him. A lot." May's admittance of her feelings forced Caroline to have to hold in a squeal of excitement. To her knowledge, this was the first time her daughter had ever had these types of feelings for anyone, and she was elated, especially since her feelings were for a man she already liked and could trust.

"He's just so different from everyone else I've ever met. Sure, Brock is a great friend and person, but it's just different with Ash somehow. He's funny, kind, selfless and as you say, 'a handsome young thing'." May teased her mother with the last part, pausing so that the two women could giggle for a moment. "He's so caring... And he makes me feel more safe, more comfortable than I ever have in my life. I've only known him for a few weeks, but it feels like I've known him all my life."

"I've never connected with anybody like I have with Ash, and he feels the same way in that regard. I really, _really_ care for him, Mom. Meeting him was one of the best things that's happened in my life thus far. So yes, at the very least, I _like_ him." May finished sincerely, relishing in what she was feeling.

"Oh May, that's wonderful! I'm so happy. Your first real crush!" Caroline squealed with excitement, making sure to keep her voice down just to be cautious.

"Mom..." May drew out the one syllable word in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry honey, it's just such fantastic news! I know that you never got along with any of the boys here in Petalburgh, so I'm incredibly happy that you've found someone you can care so deeply for." Caroline told her daughter.

"Most of the guys here are jerks. None of them cared about me as a person, all they saw when they looked at me was a body with a famous last name." May spat, disgusted as she thought back to some of the guys she'd had to deal with over the years.

Caroline looked at her daughter sympathetically. "I know, May. But that's the wonderful part of a pokemon journey. There are so many great people out there to meet and become friends with, and it seems to me that you lucked out and found a couple of the best on your first day..."

May smiled as she thought over her mother's words. She really did feel lucky having met Ash on that day, and May didn't have a hard time believing he was one of the best people out there. She also felt extremely grateful to have met Brock as well, knowing that their friendship would surely last forever.

"Ash likes me for who I am as a person, not just my appearance. He's not concerned with how I look, or who my father is. The only thing he cares about is what's in my heart, and that's the most wonderful feeling in the world. He cares about me, and he makes me feel special. I have no idea if he feels the same way I do but right now, I really can't bring myself to care. I'm more than happy just being the best of friends with him for the foreseeable future." May said to her mother, causing her to smile with joy.

May meant all of what she was saying. Though, there was one thing she wasn't exactly certain of, even when the words had come out of her mouth. If she was being honest, she _did_ care if Ash felt the same way she did. That being said, rushing into anything could be one of the biggest mistakes she'd ever make, and she knew that. This is what brought about the comment of simply staying friends for the time being.

"Well I think Ash is a wonderful man. Heck, even your father thinks so! It feels so unnatural, him actually liking a boy around your age." The two shared a laugh at the truthfulness behind Caroline's words. "We both really like Ash a lot, Max too. I am so glad that he's the person you have feelings for...because you only deserve the best."

May smiled sweetly at Caroline before hugging her mother tightly. She was so happy that her mother approved of her feelings, not that she'd doubted it. She knew that Ash was going to be loved by her family; the only outlier being her father, but she even managed to convince herself that he would like him and she was happy to say that she had been right.

"Thinking about it now, it does make a lot of sense." Caroline started, both herself and May picking up their sponge and towel respectively as they went back to scrubbing and drying the dishes. Despite them working, May had her eyes on her mother as she waited for her to continue. "I mean, the very first time you met him, he literally saved your life. It's kind of like the whole 'knight in shining armor' thing, you know?"

May thought about it for a second before she let a happy smile cross her lips. She remember how not long ago, she thought that this concept only appeared in fairytales. But now, she was beginning to think other wise.

"I guess it is kind of like that, isn't it? And while that event certainly didn't hurt things, that's not the reason I have feelings for him. In my mind, an event like that creates gratitude, not true feelings. He's everything that I could ever want in a guy. And I love just talking to him, being around him more than anything. He makes me feel so happy and safe. That's why I have feelings for him." May explained to her mother.

Caroline smiled sweetly at her daughter words. She was glad that May had feelings for Ash, and that they were for the right reasons.

"But like I said, I'm not going to be focusing on that too much for the time being. I've never been happier than I am right now, and I don't want to screw things up by rushing into things." May added, earning a nod of approval from her mother.

"I think that's a good idea, sweetie. And from the outside looking in, it's obvious that Ash likes you too. I don't know if it's in _that_ way, but he definitely loves being around you. And I wouldn't be even the slightest bit surprised if he does feel the same way as you." Caroline told her daughter, causing a stupid smile to spread on her face as she thought of the possibility of this becoming reality. "So, are you going to ask to travel with him?"

May snapped out of her dreamy state when her mother spoke, causing her face to drop just slightly. But quickly, she picked herself back up and nodded her head.

"Yeah, I am. There's no way I can say goodbye to him just like that. And I think having Ash and Brock with me on my first journey would help me a lot. Plus, it'll be much better than traveling alone would've been..." May paused, wondering how she'd ever even considered traveling by herself now that she had such good friends. "I'm going to ask him before they leave, I'm just a little nervous..."

"What are you nervous about, honey?" Caroline questioned her daughter, hoping she'd be able to alleviate whatever her concerns she had.

May sighed before responding. She couldn't tell her mother the whole truth, that she was traveling for a different reason than Ash which in turn could end up being a nuisance to his traveling schedule, but she still wanted to answer as truthfully as she could.

"It's just...I'm afraid that I'm going to slow him down. And that he's either going to resent me for that, or let it be and become burdened by me." May revealed to her mother.

"But May, aren't you taking on the gyms as well?" Caroline questioned, still under the impression that this was May's goal. May didn't respond, hating lying to her mother. "Wouldn't you be going the same way he is anyway?"

May quickly formulated a response in her mind that would allow her to keep her secret while still getting her justification out there.

"I just want to take my journey slow. I want to really experience everything, whereas Ash is so excited to simply battle the gyms. He'll probably want to rush from one city to the next." May said, looking down in sadness. "But despite all of this...I have to travel with him, Mom. I can't say goodbye to him."

"Oh, honey." Caroline put down the dish that was in her hand and embraced her daughter for a moment, noticing her sadness. After a few moments, the mother then pulled away, but kept her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"May, I know you think your worries are justified, but I promise you they aren't." Caroline started bluntly. "May if there is one thing that I know for certain after seeing you and Ash together, it's that he loves being with you. And whether you're taking it slow or sprinting to each gym, I guarantee neither of you will care. Because you and Ash will be together, and that'll make the both of you incredibly happy. And considering how alike the two of you are, I bet Ash is worried about the same thing, and that's why he hasn't asked you yet. You don't have to worry about saying goodbye because you won't have to. So please May, ask him before he leaves, for both of your sakes."

Caroline removed her hands from her daughter's shoulders and went back to scrubbing away at the dish she'd began to wash before this had come up. May didn't return to her duties immediately, however. Instead she allowed herself to think about what her mother had said, to really process what she'd been told.

She knew it was more than likely an irrational fear that she had, but that's the thing about these types of fears, they're irrational. And even despite this, these fears often felt very real. The fact that the day Ash and Brock would leave on their journey was coming ever closer made this all the more stressful to May. That being said, this was also what made her mother's words mean so much.

Caroline had been incredibly reassuring with what she'd said. She already knew all of the things that her mother had told her, but hearing them said verbally allowed her to really underestimated them. To not have their true meanings blurred by fear and doubt. She was already adamant about asking Ash to travel with him, but this was the last push she needed to really cement that into her mind. She couldn't let him go, and if things went the way she was now thinking they would, she wouldn't have to.

May smiled as she picked up her cloth and began drying the dishes once again. "Thanks, Mom. Ash and Brock are staying 3 full days and leaving on the morning of the fourth day. I'm gonna tell him the day before he's supposed to leave. The day before _we_ leave. And then, we're going to travel through Hoenn. Just me and the first two people I can call my best friends."

"And the person you're falling in love with..." Caroline added, a teasing smirk on her face. The mother turned her head just in time to see May's face go bright red.

She knew her mother was kidding around, but there that L word was again...Though she didn't allow herself to worry about it for long. It was still much too early to go throwing that word around as May was not cheap with the word 'love'. To May, someone should only say it when one truly means it and at the moment, her feelings were much too young and confusing to be certain of anything. Whatever her feelings were though, she was enjoying every second of it.

Plus, now she really didn't have to rush anything as they would be traveling together, she was all but certain of that at this point. There would be plenty of time for her relationships with both Ash and Brock to grow, as well as any feelings she may have...

While she loved teasing her daughter, Caroline could tell just how elated May was now that she had full confidence that this would play out in her favor. As a mother, she was more than happy she was able to help her daughter push past her fears.

The mother and daughter finished washing the dishes just a few minutes later, making menial conversation throughout. When they finished, the boys still hadn't returned from cleaning the gym. In fact, they wouldn't return for another 15 minutes, which showed just how much work that job really took.

When they arrived, all four guys were laughing at something. Both women were happy to see that they were all getting along, not that they thought that they wouldn't. Everyone greeted each other as they all stood in the kitchen.

Ash turned his smiling face to May, which made her smile in turn. "I know you say your brother is a nerd, but I swear he knows more about pokemon than I do!"

May couldn't help but chuckle at Ash's words while Ash stood proudly.

"That just proves my point!" May teased at her brother before bringing her gaze back to Ash. "He's already annoying, so don't go giving him a big head too."

Everyone shared a hearty laugh at May's words while Max pouted jokingly, for once not taking May's teasing too seriously; they were all just having fun, and even Max could put off the everlasting rivalry he had with his sister for a while.

Ash then wiped his brow, removing a small amount of sweat. "I had no idea running a gym was so much work. When you're on the outside looking in, all you really think about is battling challengers, not all the behind the scenes stuff."

Both Norman and Brock laughed at the man's words as they were painfully true. There was a lot more that went into being a Gym Leader than most people thought.

"Well, that was a pretty messy day. Yesterday, I had a battle that got pretty heated and it made a mess of the place. Normally, it doesn't take that long, even with just two people." Norman revealed to the man.

"But it's definitely a good amount of work every time. Between basically raising all of my brothers and sisters, doing the housework, and still trying to have some semblance of a life of my own, I barely had any time to clean up the gym everyday." Brock added, remembering his admittedly stressful times as the Gym Leader of Pewter City.

"Even still, I love what I do. Once Caroline and I decided to have a family, the only job I wanted to have was Gym Leader. So even if I have to spend a lot of time prepping the gym for challengers, I'll do it happily because it truly turned out to be my dream job." Norman told everyone of his passion. He then turned to Ash. "You ever thought about becoming a Gym Leader when the day comes for you to settle down?"

Everyone looked to Ash, curious of the response. Ash thought over the question momentarily, remembering that May had asked him this question earlier in the day. And because of this he'd already formulated his response. He obviously loved traveling and never really intended to become a Gym Leader, but he didn't want to discount the idea entirely.

Ash shrugged his shoulders before responding. "Who knows? Right now, the only thing I want to be is champion. You know, the best there is, the best there ever will be. Being a Gym Leader just never really interested me, especially since I love to travel so much. But who knows, maybe one day when I finally settle down, I'll get the urge to start up a gym."

Everyone smiled at the man's response. Surely, a day would come when Ash would stop traveling, no matter how far off in the future that day most certainly was. And they all thought that his accomplishments in his young one year career already made him a prime candidate.

"That's how I was when I was younger, actually. I never thought becoming a gym leader was in the cards for me, but things just sort of worked out that way. If you ever do decide to do so, let me know and I'll give you some tips." Norman told the raven haired trainer, with Brock adding that he would help as well.

"Thank you. But if that does happen, it won't be for a long while. I've only just started my journey and I have a long way to go before I can call myself the best. A Pokemon Master." Ash responded. Even though it wasn't an official title, Ash still loved the imaginary accomplishment of 'Pokemon Master'.

"Pokemon Master, huh...? I like the sound of that." Norman mentioned as he repeated the two words a few times in his mind.

"You've already taken a huge step toward your goal. You'll definitely do it one day, Ash. I can't wait to se you on top of it all." May told the man, who smiled appreciatively in response.

Norman then made his way over to Ash and May, standing between the two and draping his arms over both people's shoulder, which was a bit awkward as Ash was slightly taller than the older man.

"Maybe some day, you'll both be on top. But it looks like you have some catching up to do if you're gonna compete with Ash, huh May?" Norman spoke teasingly to his daughter, once again feeling elated that May finally decided to become a trainer.

May managed to force a smile, but she was feeling anything but happy at the moment. This was the second time this had been brought up just today and it was getting to her more and more each time. The only people who noticed her discomfort were Brock and Ash.

Ash discretely looked over at May in concern. He knew from what she'd told him, and the expressions she'd make when this subject would come up, that not telling her parents the truth was really affecting her badly. He needed to have that conversation with her sooner rather than later...

"Yeah, dad...That'd be great. Me and my best friend at the top of the mountain!" May put as much enthusiasm as she could into her voice, her acting being good enough to fool her family. But obviously, both Ash and Brock could hear the pain in her voice.

Norman then removed his arm from both Ash's and his daughter's shoulders before beginning to walk out of the kitchen. "I'm gonna go take a shower. I'll be back down in a bit."

Everyone accepted Norman's words as they watched him disappear to his room.

As this went on, the rest of the people in the house realized that they didn't really have anything to do. Max suggested that they play video games in the living room, which Ash, Brock and May all agreed to do for a while. Though, neither Ash nor Brock could really enjoy the games all that much. It was obvious that May was still brooding over her situation in her mind. Ash wished he could just talk to her now, but he needed to wait for a time when they'd have more privacy.

Even still, the four played games together for a couple of hours before deciding to simply sit around and chat for a while. As expected, May was abnormally quiet during this time. But again, only her two close friends noticed this; most of the questions and talking points were about Ash and Brock anyway, so it wasn't very obvious that she wasn't jumping in all that often for a specific reason.

The first yawn occurred at around 10:00pm, and was followed closely by a few others.

"Boy am I'm tired. I think Norman and I are going to go to bed." Caroline told the others in the room, with norman agreeing. Everyone said their goodnights to the two parents before they headed off tot heir room.

Once they were out of sight, Max stood up as well. "I'm going to sleep too. I want to be well rested so that I can fully enjoy this battle tomorrow!"

With everyone else gone, Brock, Ash and May decided to head off to their designated sleeping spots as well. It'd been a fairly long day for them all and some sleep sounded fantastic, especially to Brock and May who would be sleeping in real beds again for the first time in a while.

"Goodnight, Ash. Sorry again about you having to sleep on the couch." May apologized once more, only to be waved off by Ash.

"May, it's seriously not a problem. Plus, your couches are super comfy. I'll fall right to sleep on this bad boy." Ash accentuated his point by laying out across the couch and putting his hands behind his head, a comfortable look on his face. His over exaggeration caused the brunette to giggle.

It was at this moment that May remembered something. "Hold on, I'll be right back."

With that said, May ran off up the stairs as indicated by the sound of her footsteps, leaving behind a slightly confused Brock and Ash. Though, they didn't have to stay this way for long as just a few moments later, May returned with a blanket and a couple of pillows, obviously for Ash.

May handed the items off to Ash, whom smiled gratefully at the act.

"I almost forgot to give you these. And they're extras, so don't feel bad about taking someone's pillows or something." May explained to the raven haired trainer, knowing how he was.

Ash nodded in understanding. "Thanks May, and goodnight. Goodnight to you too, Brock."

With this said, both May and Brock headed up the stairs, saying goodnights of their own when they reached the doors of their respective rooms. The two then performed their nightly rituals.

Ash was doing the same downstairs as he brushed his teeth and changed into his sleeping clothes. His pajamas consisted of a pair of black gym shorts and a fitted teeshirt. Normally, Ash would sleep with no shirt on, but he felt that this could possibly be considered inappropriate while in another person's home.

Despite prepping for bed, Ash didn't plan on going to sleep just yet. This was the perfect time for May and him to talk as they would finally be alone. He waited a few minutes to allow everyone to finish up their nightly rituals and make sure that they would be in their rooms before quietly walking up the stairs and approaching May's door, which he remembered the location of from the tour of the house he'd been given earlier in the day. He wanted to do this alone, so he left Pikachu down on the arm chair in the living room, already fast asleep.

Before he knocked on the door, Ash thought up a few things that he wanted to say to May about the topic that they were to discuss. Ash quickly decided to just go with the flow and say what was in his heart, which had always worked well for him in the past.

It was then that Ash knocked on the door, hoping that May was awake and ready to talk.

* * *

 **A/N: There's chapter 13! Sorry that it's a day late. Once again, getting readjusted to college and a _very_ busy baseball practice schedule has me all over the place. So May got a chance to help Ash through one of the biggest obstacles in his life. And while this has helped Ash take a massive step forward, Ash's father will always be a topic of great pain for our favorite hero. That being said, he refuses to let the man who abandoned him have any influence over his life any longer. But there will always be that one question in the back of his mind, no matter how hard he tried to forget it...why did he leave? Why did he abandon the family he loved so much? Who knows if an answer will ever come?**

 **I also gotta use this time to shoutout a certain someone who's provided a great amount of help in the direction that this story will go once the journey has begun. This person is also responsible with coming up with the base idea of what will probably end up being one of the biggest arcs of the story. So big thanks to ameyab97 for his contributions to this story. You all will see just how important his contributions to the story truly are once that part of the story is posted. Go heck him out and I definitely recommend reading "Finding the Hidden Feelings" once you're over at his page. I've read it all the way through and found it to be fantastic work.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and please leave a review! it really motivates me! And any questions you may have, ask it in a review or PM me. If you have a question, I will always respond! See Ya!**


	14. Advice

How to Change a Life

It was only a few moments before May answered the door, her bandana absent from her head. She was currently wearing a pair of short shorts and a pink tank top, obviously acting as her pajamas. Ash couldn't help but momentarily admire the simplistic beauty May was exuding; she really was a very attractive woman.

May was slightly confused by Ash's arrival, but welcomed it with happiness. Any time she got to see Ash was a good time in May's book.

"Hey, Ash. What are you doing up here? I thought you were going to sleep." May whispered her question to the man.

"Do you think I could come in for a bit? There's something we need to talk about." Ash spoke levelly, earning a confused look and a nod from the brunette. Curious as to what he wanted to talk about, she allowed Ash to enter her room before closing the door.

May walked over to her bed, the bedside lamp still on, and sat down on the edge of it. Seeing Ash just standing awkwardly with nowhere to sit, May smiled and patted the spot next to her on the bed. Ash happily accepted the invitation and took a seat next to the brunette.

May was very curious as to what Ash wanted to talk about so instead of spending any time pondering over what it may be, she simply prompted Ash to tell her.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" May questioned, causing the man to meet her gaze.

"I want to talk to you about telling your parents about your journey. The _real_ reason why you decided to became a trainer." Ash told the brunette next to him, who wasn't really all that surprised by the revelation; she hadn't known this was what Ash wanted to talk about, but it made perfect sense now that he was here doing as such.

May knew that even if she'd fooled her family when the subject of her being a trainer would come up, both Ash and Brock would be able to see her pain as they knew the truth. Ash especially as the two were so in tune with one another's feelings and emotions.

"I can see how much being dishonest with them hurts you and seeing you hurt in any way breaks my heart. You need to tell them the truth." Ash continued, noticing that May wasn't going to respond immediately.

May sighed as she thought about what Ash'd said. Even though she was very happy that she had Ash to help her through this, it was still a difficult topic.

"I-I know...Lying to them is killing me. I feel like such a bad person..." May revealed to the man seated next to her, her eyes looking down as shame filled her body.

"May, you're not a bad person. This is a difficult situation and to be honest, I'd probably be doing the same thing you are if I was in your position." Ash reassured May. His words helped May feel slightly better; knowing that a person like Ash would do the same thing made her feel just a bit better about the whole thing. Not a lot, but slightly.

"Why are you so afraid to tell them, May? Despite the obvious..." Ash asked, wanting to know everything as he was sure this would allow him to help more effectively.

May let out another sigh before she began. "Well, just the fact that I've been lying is a obviously a pretty big reason. That's what my mom will be most upset about for sure. But also...I'm just so terrified of disappointing my dad."

May paused for a moment, but Ash knew not to speak as he could tell that she was going to continue and simply needed a moment.

"You should've seen his face, Ash... When I told him that I was going on a journey, that I was going to be a pokemon trainer...that was the happiest I've ever seen him in my life. He was so proud that I was going to be following in his footsteps." May's emotions were welling up inside of her as she thought about disappointing her father. Ash grabbed May's hand on the bed and gave it a reassuring squeeze, which very much helped the brunette control her emotions and continue.

"I'm afraid that when I tell him, he'll be mad and disappointed in me. He might even not let me go on my journey. I just don't know what to expect, and that terrifies me..." May managed out, tears welling up in her eyes. The comfort that May was receiving from Ash's touch was the only thing that kept these tears from falling.

As May finished, Ash thought about how to respond. Her fears seemed at least somewhat justified, but they also seemed unlikely to the man.

"May..." Ash started, causing the brunette to meet his gaze. "I understand why you're scared, and it's okay to be so. But if you want to hear my thoughts, I really don't think your father will be upset or disappointed in you. It's incredibly obvious that your dad loves you more than anything else in the world. And because of that, his happiness should be your happiness. I truly believe that if you simply tell him that this is what you want and it's what will make you happy, then he'll accept it and be happy for you."

"And sure, he may be disappointed, but he won't be disappointed in _you_. Every parent wants their kids to be like them. But they also have to understand that their children are their own person, who have their own dreams and desires. Your dad is a smart man May, and I truly think he understands this." Ash continued, wiping away a stray tear that'd found its way out of May's eye with his thumb.

Before Ash continued, he broke May's gaze and looked ahead. "And even though this is incredibly unlikely, should he say you can't go on your journey because of this...go anyway. You're an adult May, and you're allowed to make decisions for yourself. I really don't like the idea of disobeying parents but should he react this way, he'd be acting completely unreasonable and selfish. This journey is what's going to make you happy, and you need to do what makes you happy regardless of what anyone thinks."

Ash then brought his gaze back to May's, happy to see that no more tears had escaped from her blue eyes. "But like I said, I truly don't believe that will happen. May...this house is full of people who care about you. People that want nothing but for you to be happy. And when you tell them that traveling the world is what's going to make you happy, then they're going to accept it. Because they care about you. They love you."

Ash finished his thoughts by smiling toothlessly at May, hoping that his words had helped reassure her that telling the truth was the right thing to do. Her parents would find out eventually that she wasn't battling gyms, even if she didn't tell them herself. And plus, Ash didn't want his best friend to be forced to live in a constant state of fear and regret. He cared about May way too much to allow that to happen.

May turned her gaze away from Ash for a moment and looked forward, thinking about what her best friend had said. Despite breaking the stare, May still refused to let go of Ash's hand.

May had known for a long time that she'd have to tell her parents the truth at some point. It was inevitable. And now that the time had come, she was incredibly worried about how her parents, her father especially, would react.

That being said, Ash's words had been immensely comforting. Hearing these things said from someone else really made them seem true in May's mind. Her father loved her, she knew that better than anyone. And he'd said many times that her happiness was what was most important to him. And should he not accept what she planned on doing, then she decided that she would do it anyway. Ash was right about that as well; she was an adult and should her father react in this way, he would be acting petty and selfish.

But now, she was confident that she wouldn't have to do that. Once again, the two best friends had proven just how deeply connected they were. May was very much correct in saying what she'd said before: they always did seem to know just what to say to each other.

May finally brought her eyes back to lock with Ash's after almost a full minute of being lost in thought, a dazzling smile on her face as she fully processed everything. Seeing this made relief flow throughout Ash's body. He was incredibly glad that he was able to help her, similar to when had aided him earlier in the evening.

Without a word, May let go of Ash's hand and hugged the man sitting beside her. The raven haired trainer reciprocated the hug happily, rubbing May's back comfortingly.

"Thank you so much, Ash. I don't know if I'd have been able to find the courage to do this without you here with me." May spoke after a good while of silence, just now pulling out of the hug

Ash smiled toothlessly at May. "You always had the courage inside of you, May. Sometimes, you just need to hear things from someone else for you to find it. And besides, you really helped me a lot earlier, and I just want to do the same for you. Always."

May returned the soft smile with one of her own and embraced Ash once again, this time for not as long. Despite that, it meant just as much. Both once again found themselves immensely glad to have fallen into each other's lives.

As the two pulled away once again, May spoke. "I'll tell them tomorrow night. It'll give me some time to think of exactly what I should say."

Ash nodded his head, agreeing to May's plan. "Sounds good to me. And I'll be by your side the whole time. So if you ever start feeling that fear creeping up again, just look at me and remember what I told you."

May happily accepted Ash's advice, knowing that she would surely be feeling nervous when the time actually came to tell her parents the truth . Having Ash there, May was sure, was going to help get her through this.

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before May giggled at a thought of hers.

Hearing her laugh, Ash couldn't help but smile and look at the brunette in confusion. "What?"

"It just seems like we're destined to be in a never ending cycle of you helping me, and me helping you and so on, and so forth..."

Ash let out a chuckle of his own at May's words before turning slightly more serious, a soft smile present on his face.

"You know what? I think I'm okay with that." Ash spoke sincerely, causing even more joy to flow throughout May's body.

"Me too, Ash. Me too..." May responded sweetly, reveling in what she was feeling at the moment.

After May spoke, Ash stood to his feet and turned to face May. "I better head back downstairs. I need to get some sleep. I like to get up pretty."

May stood up as well and nodded her head at Ash's words. The two then walked to the door of her bedroom door.

The two shared a smile before Ash began walking out the door. However, he was stopped by May's voice.

"And Ash..." May started quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up, but needing to get Ash's attention. When Ash turned back around, May smiled at the man and continued. "Thanks again."

Ash nodded happily. "We did promise to always be there for each other. And I don't go back on my promises. Goodnight, May."

With that said, Ash turned once again and made his way down the stairs. Even after he disappeared out of sight, May remained standing, leaning against her doorway, a dreamy smile spread across her face.

"Goodnight, Ash." May said, basically talking to herself, before she turned around and reentered her room. She then proceeded to get into bed and close her eyes for the night, the immense comfort Ash had provided her acting like the softest blanket ever created and putting her right to sleep.

And not once did the dreamy smile leave her face.

* * *

May's eyes began to flutter open much sooner than she would've liked; it felt as if she'd just gone to sleep. It took a few moments before her eyes opened fully but when they did, she immediately looked to her alarm clock. May groaned when she saw that it was only 5:30am.

Now knowing that it was so early, May tried desperately to go back to sleep. Despite the fact that she was in dreamland not a minute earlier, she was finding returning to sleep to be very difficult. She tossed and turned for a few minutes, trying much too hard to return to sleep.

Eventually, May sighed and sat up in her bed. At least for the moment, she wasn't feeling particularly tired. She decided she'd go to her window and take a look outside in order to possibly see the sunrise and also get an inkling as to what the weather would be like for the day. Once she made her way over to the window, she opened her blinds, letting a decent amount of brightness into her room. The sun was in the middle of rising, May noticed, and it made the sky a beautiful sight to see.

Despite this, she wasn't looking at the sky for long, as movement on the ground in her backyard, which was visible from her window, caught her eye. Curious, she looked closer, immediately noticing that the movement she'd seen was caused by Ash and Pikachu.

As she watched the man and pokemon, she noticed that they were both breathing heavily and even from this distance, she could tell that Ash was definitely sweaty. It was then that May realized that they were training, just as Ash'd said he planned on doing. May remembered Ash telling her that he typically woke up very early to train, but even with that knowledge she didn't expect it to be _this_ early.

Very curious as to what an Ash Ketchum training session was like, and since she couldn't sleep anyway, she decided to go downstairs and watch him for a little while.

As May made her way through the house, she wasn't surprised to find that no one else was awake yet; in May's ind, no normal person would willingly get up this early. Though, this thought wasn't meant to be an insult in the slightest. In fact, May was incredibly impressed at the level of dedication Ash had to wake up so early in order to get his training done so that he could have the rest of the day to do other things.

It didn't take long for May to reach the door that would lead her to the backyard. Without hesitation, she opened the door and walked outside. She was relatively close to the man and pokemon, but far enough away so that she wouldn't get in the way of their training, no matter what they might do.

To May's surprise, it seemed that neither Ash nor Pikachu took notice of her arrival. By the time she walked outside, they'd nearly regained their breath completely, an impressive feat considering it'd barely been minute and it seemed that they'd just run a long distance.

For some reason, it wasn't until this moment that May realized that Ash was currently bare chested, his shirt balled up in his hand. He brought his shirt up to his head and used it as a cloth to wipe the sweat from his face; despite the early time of day, it was still fairly hot in Petalburg City.

At this moment, May was glad that Ash hadn't noticed her arrival as it spared her the embarrassment of him seeing the massive blush that overtook her face when she looked at him. And unlike the last time she'd seen him without a shirt on, Ash wasn't doing this to mess with her. This was what allowed May to take as long a look as she wanted, and she definitely took full advantage of that.

Even before Ash and Pikachu got down in pushup position, May's eyes had been glued on the raven haired trainer. As they started their motion, May admired the man's arms as they were perfectly on display in this position.

While she was unable to look away from Ash, she was still sentient, and she'd been keeping count of how many pushup he'd done. She was amazed that even after 200, he was still going. Granted, he'd slowed down a great deal, but that was to be expected after so many repetitions. May watched as he pushed his way to 249 before failing, causing him to stop and immediately regain his footing, breathing hard.

Now that he was standing, May could see all of him once again. And after the pushups, his chest and arms were more pumped than usual and the sight of it literally made May drool. Her eyes also found their way to his abs, every girls weakness, and Ash's stomach would put any other man's to shame, May was sure of that. She admired how Ash could look so muscular, but not overly so. In her mind, he was damn near perfect.

" _...Wow...he...chest...um...Wow..."_ May thought, breathing hard herself despite having not moved at all.

Once she shook herself out of her thoughts, May forced herself to look away momentarily as Ash and Pikachu started a new exercise. She really wasn't normally like this, but Ash just brought something out within her. She was simply incredibly attracted to the man, more so than with anyone else she'd ever seen before. The combination of his near perfect body, and the knowledge of Ash's incredible personality and character was getting May a little hot and bothered, and she needed to stop herself before it went any further.

As she looked away, her face turned the darkest shade of red it ever had as she tried her best to force these sexualized thoughts out of her head. It was just a man with his shirt off, after all. A guy not wearing a shirt isn't exactly an uncommon occurrence, especially in the hot climate of Hoenn.

Feeling like she'd gotten over whatever had its hold on her whenever she looked at Ash's shirtless form, May looked back at the trainer. He was just finishing up what she knew had to be an ungodly amount of sit ups. She watched as he returned to his feet. And while she still very much enjoyed the sight of Ash's form, she no longer felt like she'd lost control of herself, nor was she all that embarrassed. She could simply admire his form now, and enjoy every second of it. Though, she was also very much interested with what he was doing in terms of exercise and form.

She was glad that she'd gotten over whatever it was and could now simply act normally, even when Ash didn't have a shirt on. That being said, she would still allow herself to admire the view every once in a while...

May watched as Ash and Pikachu did a number of other exercises. May noticed that Ash was hitting every part of his body with his workout, making it incredibly effective. It was a good while later that Ash verbally addressed Pikachu again.

"Alright, let's get some water, and then it's on to move training. Okay, buddy?" Ash asked his best pokemon friend, still trying to regain his breath after their last workout.

After Ash spoke, May looked to her side at the patio table she was standing next to. On said table, were two bottles of water, with one being smaller than the other. When May looked back toward the pair, she noticed that they'd just turned to start walking to get their water.

Knowing that they'd see her, May smiled and waved. Ash clearly recognized May and smiled brightly, with Pikachu reacting similarly. They wondered why she was up so early, but were happy that she was here. None the less Both Pikachu and Ash ran the rest of the way toward the woman.

"Hey, Ash. Hey, Pikachu. Good morning!" May spoke brightly, still not feeling tired even after the limited amount of sleep she'd gotten.

Ash smiled grew even bigger as May spoke. "Good morning, May! What're you doing up so early? Were we being too loud...? I'm really sorry if we were, I have a tendency to grunt when the workouts get difficult. Pikachu too."

May chuckled as she remembered hearing said 'grunts', with Pikachu's being quite adorable in that voice of his.

"I know, I heard. But you weren't being too loud, and you didn't wake me up. For some reason, I just woke up at around 5:30 and couldn't fall back asleep. So I went to my window to watch the sunrise when I saw you two crazy people out here. When I realized you were training, I just had to come see it after how insane you and your mom said it was." May teased the pair while explaining her situation.

Ash and Pikachu both laughed at May's teasing, knowing that what they did on practically a daily basis would be considered crazy by most. During this time, Pikachu jumped up on the table and began drinking form the smaller water bottle, chugging it down.

Ash grabbed his water bottle as well, but refrained from drinking it for a moment so that he could respond.

"Okay, good. Well, I'm sorry you're awake anyway. Not a lot goes on during this time of day." Ash said, causing the two to chortle. Ash then opened his water bottle and drank about half of the water before stopping. "So what'd you think? Was the workout everything you expected it to be?"

May crossed her arms over her chest and smirked teasingly. "I mean...I guess it was okay. I mean, how far was your run? A half mile, maybe a mile?"

Knowing May was teasing, Ash smiled before responding. "I don't really know the exact distance, I didn't check, but we just ran until we reached Professor Birch's lab and then came back."

May was forced to drop her smirk as Ash revealed the path himself and Pikachu had run. May's mouth dropped as she thought about just how far that was. Having remembered the exact distance as she'd had to walk it when she was going to get her first pokemon, May was astounded.

"Ash...that's 6 miles both ways..." May started, amazement evident in her voice. "You're telling me you ran 12 miles this morning...?"

Ash chuckled at the tone of May's voice before shrugging his shoulders. "I guess I did... Huh, good work, Pikachu."

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu responded before finishing the rest of his water.

May was utterly amazed by what Ash and Pikachu had done. It was hard to imagine someone having cardio good. It was starting to make a lot of sense why Ash had the physique he did, even with eating so much. May liked to think that she worked out hard, but this was on a whole different level...

"Suddenly, I'm starting to understand why people think you're crazy..." May joked, causing everyone present to laugh.

Though at this moment, May remembered something and put on a stern face, and tone of voice.

"Wait, you're supposed to be taking it easy for a while! You only just got out of the hospital yesterday!" May scolded Ash, very much worried for his safety. Despite him appearing fine, the last thing she wanted was for Ash to hurt himself by going so hard right after recovering.

Ash looked at May apologetically and rubbed the back of his head.. "I'm sorry, May. I just get carried away with these things. Training with my pokemon, even if it's just me and Pikachu, is something that I just love to do. Bettering myself and my pokemon everyday is the only way that I'm going to reach my goal. But I do have to be careful, and I should've thought about that more. I'm very sorry for worrying you and I'll be sure to slow down a bit."

Ash bowed his head, his apology being incredibly sincere. May loved this about Ash, how even if something didn't necessarily seem like a big deal to him, he would treat it as such, knowing that it might to the other person. The sincerity of Ash's apology caused the stern look to melt off of May's face and turn into a smile, causing Ash to do the same.

"It's okay, Ash. Just...please don't push yourself too hard too soon. I really don't want to see you hurt again." May told the raven haired trainer. The amount of concern the brunette was expressing toward him made Ash feel warm and fuzzy inside for some reason.

Ash nodded his head, really appreciating her concern for him. "Okay, May. I promise...We'll only do 11 miles tomorrow!"

Ash teased May, causing him to snicker and her to giggle, but also slap him on the arm teasingly. The two then feel into what was just a moment of comfortable silence. May used this time to think about something Ash had said.

"Hey, Ash?" May started, regaining Ash's undivided attention as he stopped drinking his water and looked at her. "Would you mind if I worked out with you tomorrow morning?"

Ash lit up at the question, instantly nodding his head in the affirmative. "Of course, May! We'd love for you to join us. But if you don't mind me asking, is there a particular reason why? I mean,we get up pretty early, and our training isn't what one would consider 'easy'..."

May smiled brightly at Ash's words before responding. "Well, I worked out a lot before I left for what was supposed to be the start of my journey, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to continue doing so on the road; I simply didn't know how to, and I think you might be able to teach me how I can do both. Plus what you said about bettering yourself everyday really struck something within me. Even though I don't plan on training pokemon, I still want to create a better version of myself everyday. And I'm sure Torchic would love to get out and moving around."

Ash smiled at May's answer, very happy with her motives.

"That's great, May. I'd be happy to help you. And like I said, you're more than welcome to join us. Though if I'm being honest, I don't really see how you're gonna be able to better yourself..." Ash paused cryptically, confusing May. Ash's smile then turned soft as he continued. "Because you're already pretty much perfect as you are."

May blushed immediately, but also smiled sweetly and dreamily at Ash's kind words, her heart fluttering more so than ever before. After a few moments, she broke out of the stupor her joy had put her in and started giggling.

"Charmer..." May said to Ash. No matter how hard she tried, her warm smile refused to leave her face, causing him to laugh.

"I do what I can...Pikachu and I are going to work on some move training. This one is all on him, so you don't have to worry about me. You can stay and watch if you'd like, but I think you might have other plans..." Ash said with a knowing smirk.

May was confused as to what Ash meant until just a moment later, she let out a long yawn, all the tiredness she'd been looking for while she was still in bed hitting her hard.

"How did you know I was gonna yawn...?" May asked, very surprised by what'd just occurred.

"Like we've said, we're connected very deeply. I guess this means I can read your mind..." Ash spoke seriously, before letting a smirk cross his lips as May looked at him with a smirk of her own and a raised eyebrow. "Okay, maybe not...to be honest it was more convenient timing than anything. I could just tell that you were tired, and that you were gonna start feeling it some point soon. Thanks for making me look psychic for a second, though!"

The two shared another laugh before both were about to turn around and walk to where they were to go next. But before either did so, May saw Ash's hat sitting on the patio table. Immediately, she reached for it and threw it on her head, even though it was pretty big on her.

"Can I take this?" May asked whilst already walking away with it, causing Ash to chuckle.

"Sure. Don't think I really had a choice anyway." Ash retorted, earning one last laugh from the woman before Ash and Pikachu returned to training, and May returned to bed.

The sleepiness hit May when she was outside increased tenfold as the comfort Ash's hat provided washed over her. It wasn't 30 seconds before May was asleep once again.

…

…

Once again, May found herself waking up, this time at a much more reasonable hour. Seeing that it was 9:00am, May decided that it was a good time to start her day. She was excited to get the day going as today was full of couple of things she was really looking forward to. Simply just hanging out with her friends, exploring the town. May was even excited to see the battle that her father and Ash were to have, and that was saying something given that not long ago, she had absolutely zero interest in anything related to battling.

Despite this, she still allowed herself a longer than normal shower. She had her own bathroom, so no one even knew she was awake yet. The hospital showers were fine, but they were nothing compared to the shower she used here at home.

She let herself enjoy the hot water running down her body as she hummed some of her favorite songs, which eventually turned into her singing. After about 15 minutes, May exited the shower, dried herself off, and dressed herself in her usual garb for the day. She also made sure to grab Ash's hat, making certain that she wouldn't forget to return it to him.

May then exited her room, taking notice that the guest room's door was open, indicating that Brock was most likely downstairs already. And knowing her parents, they were probably awake as well.

As she made her way down the stairs, May wondered to herself if Ash had gone back to sleep after he was finished training. She thought about this during the short walk before entering the kitchen, everyone who was awake noticing her arrival.

"Good morning, May." Caroline spoke sweetly, earning a similar response from May.

May was slightly confused to see her mother sitting at the kitchen table, along with Max, Ash, Pikachu and her father. Normally when she would come down from her room in the morning, her mother would be hard at work making breakfast. Though once she looked toward the cooking area of the kitchen, she realized that Brock must've decided to handle breakfast this morning.

Everyone else then said their good morning's before May took a seat next to her mother at the kitchen table, across from Ash and her father. Before anything else happened, May wanted to give Ash his hat back. She'd come up with a story on the way down the stairs to spare her from any teasing.

"Here's your hat back, Ash. I noticed you left it in the living room." May told Ash, handing him the hat with a discreet wink.

Ash, understanding what she was doing, simply smiled and took the hat before placing it atop his head. "Oh, thank you, May. I can be pretty forgetful in the morning!"

Everyone chortled at Ash's words.

Even though May now knew the reason why she was seated at the table instead of cooking, Caroline still decided to acknowledge the look of confusion her daughter had given her when she'd first entered the kitchen.

"Brock offered to cook us all breakfast this morning. Him and Ash were up before all of us, and Brock had already started when I came down. It was quite the pleasant surprise!" Caroline explained.

May smiled at her mother's explanation, even though she'd already come to the same conclusion.

"I'm glad that you were okay with it. I was actually a bit worried that you would be upset that I was basically raiding your kitchen." Brock admitted, having already mentioned this before May'd come down from her room.

Caroline simply waved the man off as she had before. "Oh heaven's no. As much as I enjoy cooking, actually having a chance to just sit back and relax in the morning is wonderful. I very much appreciate it!"

Brock smiled, happy that he could do something for the family. "I just thought this would be a way for me to express my thanks for you allowing Ash and I to stay here."

"Do you think you throw put my name on this too, Brock?" Ash joked, causing everyone to laugh. Ash didn't really have a way to thank the Maple's, despite knowing it wasn't needed, so he wanted to jokingly take some credit for Brock's deed.

After the laughter stopped, May looked at Ash, curious about what she was thinking about earlier.

"So, Ash. Did you go back to sleep after you were done training?" May questioned, earning looks of interest from the two parents.

"No, I usually don't. I'm pretty good at running off of little sleep." Ash told the brunette. "And people say having all this energy is a bad thing!"

Ash's joke caused himself and May to laugh, while Norman, Max, and Caroline were still interested in what'd been said before.

"You trained this morning?" Norman asked Ash, whom nodded in response. "What time did you start to be finished by now?"

Ash thought about it for a few seconds, recalling what time he'd started his run. "Well...I got up at around 4:30, and stared my run at about 4:45. And I finished up training at about 7:30."

Caroline and Norman were both just as surprised as May had been when she first saw Ash training so early. Plus, May hadn't known exactly when he'd started his run as she only saw him when he'd returned, and that was at 5:30.

"It's really intense." May added, wanting her parents to know just how impressive Ash's training was. "I woke up early this morning and saw Ash training out my window, so I went to watch for a while. It's honestly insane. Plus, he told me that this 'run' he went on was to Professor Birch's Lab and back. That's 12 miles!"

Both Caroline and Norman were blown away by the revelation and looked at the raven haired trainer in amazement. Ash on the other hand was rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment while smiling sheepishly.

"How can you even handle doing all of that...?" Caroline questioned.

"Well, I started training like this when I turned 15. And when I turned 18 and got Pikachu here, I really turned up the intensity. I like to train alongside my pokemon. My thought process is if they see me working hard, then they want to work hard in return. Isn't that right, buddy?" Ash finished toward Pikachu, whom smiled joyfully.

"Pi-ka pika pi!" Pikachu exclaimed, very happy with the training set up they had. While it could be a bit much at times, this was how he was going to become stronger, and the results had always been astounding.

"Wow...Color me impressed." Norman stated, causing Ash to nod his head in thanks.

While this was happening, Brock was beginning to serve breakfast. Everyone thanked him and happily chomped away at the delicious breakfast food that they were provided.

As they were coming toward the end of the meal, with Ash and May having already been done even despite having eaten three times as much as everyone else, Ash remembered something he wanted to tell Max.

"Hey Max, after I finished training this morning, I went over to the Pokemon Center and had a few of my pokemon transferred for the gym battle. And I also made sure to have Professor Oak transfer over a certain someone that I promised I'd let you meet..." Ash smirked as he watched the younger boy's face light up with excitement.

"You have your Charizard with you!? Oh man, when can I meet him!?" Max was speaking incredibly quickly, his excitement very apparent, which caused the others to chuckle.

"I was thinking after breakfast. Is that okay with you?" Ash directed the question toward Norman and Caroline, whom nodded in response.

"Sounds good to me. I'd actually like to see your Charizard in person as well." Norman told Ash.

Max waited impatiently for everyone to finish breakfast, making it known just how slow he felt his parents were eating. It was only a few more minutes before everyone'd had their fill and breakfast was finished.

"Alright, let's go let the big guy out." As soon as Ash said this, Max rushed out the backdoor and into the backyard, once again causing everyone to chuckle.

The others followed at a more reasonable pace and were soon outside, with Ash standing ahead of everyone. Ash then reached for his belt and unclipped a pokeball. After enlarging it, he prepared himself to toss it.

"Come on out, buddy. Meet our new friends!" Ash said this as he tossed the pokeball.

The Maple family watched eagerly as the large, dragon-like creature formed from the bean that'd come from the ball. It wasn't even a second before Charizard fully materialized in all its glory.

The first thing that Norman and Max noticed was the pokemon's size. From what they could tell, he was a good deal larger than a typical Charizard, and the flame on his tail was larger as well.

Charizard took in his surrounding, looking for his trainer as he'd heard his voice whilst being let out of the pokeball. It didn't take long for the pokemon to see Ash's smiling face.

"Hey, Charizard! It's good to see you, buddy!" Ash exclaimed, while Pikachu greeted him as well.

It was clear to everyone that Charizard was happy to see Ash. But then, Charizard did something no one was expecting. He let loose a stream of flames over Ash's face, causing everyone to gasp and yell in fright.

However, they recollected themselves when he stopped, and they realized that Ash was actually laughing. Ash then began rubbing his large pokemon on the back just after Charizard. .

"Ash...what was that...?" May questioned, confused like the rest of her family. Brock couldn't help but chuckle, having seen this a million times before.

Ash, knowing what she was referring to, responded. "That's just something Charizard does. It's kind of like his greeting for me. It means he's happy to see me."

"But doesn't it hurt?" Max asked incredulously. From what he saw, Ash should be burned pretty badly.

"Not at all, actually. It's a little warm, but that's about it. It sort of hurt when he first started doing it but as he got stronger, he became able to control it completely. Since he obviously doesn't want to burn me, he can somehow make his flames do absolutely no damage. And boy am I glad for that." Ash chuckled at his own words, causing the others to do so as well.

May loved that Ash's pokemon all seemed to have their own interesting quirks. First, there was what Pikachu did when he was rudely awoken which, admittedly, seemed to be a bit much. And now, there was this with his Charizard. It was very cool for May to see that all pokemon actually had their own distinct personalities, something she'd never really noticed in the past.

"Charizard, these are the Maple's. Caroline, Norman, Max, and May. And you already know Brock." Ash introduced each member of the family, pointing to them as he said each individual name.

Charizard roared in what they could only assume was a greeting. Max was incredibly amazed by the massive pokemon. Being from Hoenn, he'd never seen a Charizard in real life before. And this was no ordinary Charizard. Max could feel the power he was exuding, and it excited him greatly to be in the presence of such a pokemon.

Max approached the dragon-like pokemon, whom watched as the young boy came closer to him. Because Ash introduced these people as his friends, Charizard was perfectly comfortable and not on edge in the slightest.

"Hey, Charizard." Max started timidly. Though, seeing Charizard responding positively to him, his courage grew as he spoke again. "You're such an awesome pokemon! I watched you in the Indigo League and you were so strong! You've gotta be one of the strongest Charizards out there!"

Charizard enjoyed the high praise immensely as he raised his head proudly. Ash simply smiled at the pokemon before addressing Max.

"Don't go praising him too highly. He has a big enough head as it is." Ash teased, causing Charizard dot huff and everyone else to laugh.

As Max moved to pet the large pokemon, May was forming an idea in her mind. She still hadn't released Torchic from her ball yet this morning, allowing her to sleep in. But now, she was thinking her pokemon might enjoy meeting such a strong fire type.

May reached for her only pokeball before releasing Torchic. The sound gained everyone's attention as they watched the chick pokemon materialize.

"Tor-chic!" Torchic happily greeted her trainer before turning to greet the rest of the gang.

Though, Torchic's eyes moved upward only to meet the gaze of Charizard. Immediately, her eyes opened widely and she rushed back, hiding behind May's legs, shaking slightly in fear.

Charizard was confused at what he'd done wrong, only to be told by Ash that it wasn't his fault. Everyone looked sympathetically at Torchic as May cursed herself for not doing this more carefully. Torchic was small, especially compared to Charizard and even though she'd gotten over her fear of Mightyena, she still had a bit of a nervous disposition.

May kneeled down an scooped her first pokemon into her arms, smiling at her reassuringly. "It's okay, Torchic. That's Ash's Charizard. He's our friend. I just thought you'd want to meet a really strong fire type."

Torchic carefully listened to May's words before turning her head to look at Charizard once again. Ash nudged Charizard and told him to be friendly, causing the large pokemon to put on a smile, not showing his teeth as he thought that might frighten her even further.

Torchic looked at the lizard pokemon hesitantly. Only when she saw a reassuring look from both Ash and May did she fully accept that Charizard was a friend. Once she realized this, Torchic jumped from May's arms and approached Charizard, chirping her hellos, causing everyone to laugh at the complete 180 she'd just made.

May, Ash and Brock were immensely glad to see that now that Torchic had gotten over most of her fears, she was an incredibly friendly pokemon.

Charizard wasn't exactly known to be the friendliest of pokemon but if Ash was friends with this pokemon's trainer, then he would be nice to her. It's not that he had a problem with any pokemon, this was simply how most Charizards are.

"So Charizard, you wanna spread your wings a little?" Ash asked with a smirk, causing Charizard to roar in agreement.

Before anyone could say another word, Charizard began flapping his wings and took to the skies. Everyone watched intently as the large pokemon moved gracefully through the skies. He was incredibly fast and deft with his movements, especially for a creature of his size.

Charizard, knowing everyone was watching, smirked as he made sure to put on a show. He was doing everything he could think of to impress those watching. After a few minutes of flying, Charizard landed gracefully back in the position he'd taken off from. Once he landed, everyone clapped their hands at the showing. Charizard simply stood with his head held high, knowing that he'd impressed these people greatly.

"Charizard that was so awesome! You're so cool!" Max's words only served to cause Charizard's pride to swell even further. Max then got an idea in his head and turned to Ash in order to ask it. "Do you think I could...ride him?"

Ash didn't respond immediately. Instead, he looked toward Norman and Caroline, his look clearly asking them if this would be okay; he didn't have a problem with it, but it wasn't his decision. Max also turned his gaze toward his parents, a hopeful look on his face.

"I don't know, Max..." Caroline responded, unsure as to if this was okay.

"Please, mom. Please!" Max pleaded, wanting the experience badly.

While Caroline was thinking, Norman decided to chime in. "I think it would be okay, Caroline. I mean, people ride flying type pokemon all over the world. And besides, I'm sure Ash rides Charizard all the time."

"I do. We flew quite a bit together in Kanto. Charizard is extremely careful and safe when flying with someone riding him." Ash added, knowing just how much Max would appreciate the experience.

After a few more moments, Caroline finally relented. "Alright...But only if Ash goes with you!"

Max cheered in excitement and hugged his mother. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

By the time Max approached Charizard, Ash had already climbed onto the pokemon's back, Pikachu on his shoulder.

Ash reached his hand out for Max to grab so that he could help him onto Charizard. "Come on. You're gonna love this."

Max smiled joyfully and grabbed Ash's hand, only to be hefted up onto the pokemon by Ash's strength.

"We won't fly long. And we'll stay in sight." Ash told the others on the ground. "Alright Charizard, let's fly!"

With that said, Charizard returned to the sky. Just like before, the people on the ground watched the pokemon do his thing. Though this time, Charizard wasn't doing all the impressive things he'd been doing before as he was carrying passengers, something the two parents appreciated.

Ash smiled as he heard Max cheering as he held on behind him. He was obviously loving the experience, just as he had when he'd first rode a flying type pokemon; he remembered his first flight on Pidgeot fondly. This thought made him miss the bird pokemon whom he'd released at the end of his Kanto journey so that he could protect others of his kind. But Ash found comfort in the fact that one day, he would return for her, just as he promised. His plan was to offer her the chance to rejoin him every time he went home between journeys.

"This is so cool!" Max yelled, causing Ash to chuckle.

Ash turned his head, meeting Max's gaze before smirking. "You ain't seen nothing yet. Charizard, let's kick it into second gear!"

Upon hearing Ash's words, Charizard shot forward quickly. Despite the sudden change in speed, neither Ash nor Max felt as if they were in any more danger; Charizard very obvious knew what he was doing and what his limits were when he had passenger.

It was just a few minutes later that Charizard landed once again and the two humans, along with Pikachu, hopped off of his back.

"That was awesome! I can't wait to tell my friends that I rode a Charizard! And Ash Ketchum's Charizard no less!" Max exclaimed, causing his parents and Brock to smile at his enthusiasm. Norman and Caroline were grateful that Ash was able to provide their son with such an amazing experience.

After Max finished speaking, Ash turned to May and addressed her. "So May, you up for a ride?"

May was slightly surprised by the question, not even really thinking about the possibility of her flying. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't a bit scared by the idea of flying on a pokemon but after seeing Ash and Max do it, her fear was not as severe. And she was also feeling the desire to experience this grow...

"I don't know, Ash..." May was still slightly hesitant, despite knowing that it would be an experience she would end up loving.

"Come on, May. You'll be fine. And it'll be fun! I swear it." Ash told May reassuringly, knowing that the brunette would regret it should she not do this.

Ash words caused a toothless smile to grow on May's face as she approached the man, now feeling nothing but excitement over what was to come.

Once again, Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder, got onto Charizard's back before helping May up. May couldn't help but go slightly red as she wrapped her arms around Ash's torso, their close proximity both embarrassing and exciting her.

Ash also felt slightly embarrassed as May's ample bust was pressing into his back. Though, he did his best to ignore this and simply enjoy the ride. Both Ash and May got over their awkwardness in an instant, with it instead being replaced by sheer excitement.

Ash turned his head to meet May's gaze, smiling. "Hold on tight. Charizard, let's fly!"

Instantly, Charizard fly upwards once again, surprising May with how fast they'd risen. As they started moving forward, May couldn't help but enjoy the rush of adrenaline she was getting from the experience.

As she looked down to the ground, she saw how high up they were. May wasn't afraid of heights, which made this a sight to see for her. It was incredibly cool being up here and seeing things from a different perspective.

"You having fun, May?" Ash questioned over his shoulder, earning a bright smile from the brunette.

"Hell yeah!" Ash chuckled at May's excitement. "Ash? ...Do you think we could go faster...?"

May asked, relishing in what she was feeling from this incredible experience. Ash smirked as he processed May's request.

"I like your style, Maple." Ash spoke teasingly, causing May to chuckle. "Charizard, let's kick things up a notch!"

With that said, just like before, Charizard picked up speed.

"Come on, May. Let me hear you go 'WOOO'." Ash demonstrated jovially.

May smiled even brighter at Ash's words before following through with his request. "WOOOO!"

May yelled out in excitement as Charizard flew across the blue skies. May loved how free she felt, how Ash had allowed her to just cut loose and have fun. She couldn't remember a time when she'd had this much fun, and it was all thanks to Ash.

After a few more minutes, Charizard returned to the ground. Ash hopped off of his pokemon's back first before helping May down.

"So, May? What'd you think?" Max asked excitedly, wanting to know if his sister enjoyed the ride as much as he did.

"Don't get used to me saying this, but you were right Max. That was so awesome!" May responded happily before the two siblings high-fived. Despite their fights, the two loved each other and still got along every now and then.

"Would either of you like a ride?" Ash asked Caroline and Norman.

The father simply shook his head in the negative, but Caroline responded vocally. "No thanks, Ash. Me and heights don't get along very well."

Both Ash and Brock, whom was standing next to the parents, chuckled and nodded at the response.

"I understand." Ash stated before turning to face his pokemon. "Thank you, Charizard. I think it's safe to say you made their days."

Ash indicated with his head toward the sibling duo, whom smiled appreciatively at the pokemon. Charizard roared in response, being happy to help his trainer and his friends. Ash then returned Charizard to his ball, telling him to take a good rest.

"Are you gonna use Charizard in the battle against my dad, Ash?" May questioned, for the first time actually being very intrigued by a battle.

"Nah. I battled with him most recently. I want to give some of my other pokemon a chance." Ash then turned his gaze to Norman, a teasing, competitive smirk on his face. "And besides, I don't want to beat you _too_ badly."

Norman smirked in response, loving the competitiveness of battle. "Oh, is that so...?"

The two locked in a stare down, only for the each of to have one of their ears pulled. Norman, by Caroline and Ash, by May.

"Save it for the battlefield, you two." Caroline said, letting go of her husbands ear, with May doing the same.

Both men rubbed their ears before sharing a friendly smile, both equally excited for their upcoming battle.

"Ash, can you show us what pokemon you are going to use in the battle!?" Max questioned animatedly.

Ash met the boy's hopeful gaze and let a smirk return to his face. "Sorry Max but like I said, that would ruin the surprise. And where's the fun in that?"

Max crossed his arms and pouted momentarily, causing everyone to laugh. Max eventually sighed and gave up on the subject; he knew he wasn't going to get Ash to change his mind. Though, Max then formed a question in his mind that he was sure that Ash could answer.

"Hey, Ash?" Max started as he still held everyone's attention. "How did you manage to get Charizard? I remember hearing during the Indigo League that Pikachu was your starter. And I know that starter pokemon are very rare outside of receiving them from a professor, so I'm wondering how you managed to find one."

As Max finished, everyone looked to Ash, becoming curious as well. The only person who didn't look was Brock. Instead, he turned his head to the ground, his face becoming sad as he remembered the story behind their first meeting with Charizard, who was a Charmander at the time.

Ash's face also turned slightly dark upon hearing the question, causing everyone, Max especially, to become worried; Max was afraid that he'd brought up another sensitive topic like his father had the night before.

"Ash, you don't have to-"

"It's okay, Max. It's not something like my father, so don't worry. It's just not the happiest of stories..."

Max was cut off by Ash, who returned a genuine smile to his face quickly, knowing that the story had a happy ending.

Upon hearing Ash say this everyone became even more interested. Brock made his way closer to Ash, thinking he might be able to help tell the story.

"We found Charizard, who was a Charmander at the time, while walking down a path on our way to the next city on our journey . It was late, and it raining really hard. We were looking for the Pokemon Center that we knew was around the halfway point between cities. Less than a quarter mile from the Pokemon Center, we saw Charmander, sitting on a rock. He looked like he was waiting for something...for someone." Ash paused, remembering the story vividly.

Seeing Ash pause, Brock decided to pick up where his friend had left off. "We noticed he wasn't looking very good. I mean, he appeared to be relatively healthy, but a Charmander shouldn't be out in the rain like he was. It puts their life in danger. If a Charmander's tail flame goes out, then that's it. They die."

"We tried to convince him to come with us. I even tried to capture him, but he resisted twice. I had Pikachu ask why he wouldn't come, and he told me that Charmander was waiting for his trainer. Apparently, his trainer had released him and told Charmander to wait on this rock as he was going to come back for him." Ash stopped again, just for a moment as he felt a tremendous amount of anger for what happened net. Despite this, he didn't let it show except through his clenched fists, which he soon relaxed.

"We knew we wouldn't be able to get him to move, so we ran to the pokemon Center, hoping to find his trainer..." Brock stated, also feeling a great amount of anger as he recalled what happened next.

"So did you find him..." Caroline asked as neither man was continuing after a few moments.

"Oh we found him alright..." Ash started, bitterness evident in his voice. "His name was Damien, we learned that from what Charmander had told Pikachu. We asked Nurse Joy if there was anyone by that name that'd checked in to the center, and she pointed us to a group of guys siting in the lobby. We got closer only to hear Damien telling the others a story..." Ash told the family, remembering just how much he hated this man.

"He was telling them how he released his weak, stupid Charmander, and told him that he was going to come back for him, even though he wasn't. That piece of trash didn't even care that his pokemon was slowly dying out in the rain. The bastard found it funny!" Ash let a bit of anger slip into his voice. He also hadn't meant to swear, but his feelings had just caused him to do so. Though, it didn't really matter as the parents didn't mind in the slightest; this guy truly was a bastard.

"We confronted him, telling him how horrible he was and the state Charmander was in. He told us to mind our own business and that Charmander actually deserved this for being stupid enough to believe that he would actually come back for him." Everyone could even hear the anger in Brock's voice, which was uncharacteristic of him most of the time. "We kept trying to convince him to help as he was the only person Charmander would listen to, but he just kept getting angrier at us. He eventually got in Ash's face and started screaming at him...Man, I've never been more satisfied than I was from what happened next..."

Both Brock and Ash let a smirk find its way to their faces. Seeing everyone looking at them, waiting for them to continue, obviously very invested in the story, Ash continued.

"I knocked him out. One punch. Nurse Joy even thanked me for doing it." Ash revealed, chuckling at the memory. Everyone was immensely glad that Ash had done this. Many say that violence is never the answer, but this Damien person needed a serious reality check and no one had any objections to Ash's actions.

Though a moment later, Ash's face dropped once again as he continued. "We told Nurse Joy to be ready for when we got back with Charmander and took off running for him. When we got there...his flame was almost out. He was so weak, he didn't even try to resist when Brock picked him. The whole time we ran back, I held my coat over his tail flame; we had to make sure it didn't go out. We made it to the Pokemon Center just in time. Nurse Joy was able to heal him quickly enough...But even despite being very grateful to us, Charmander still managed to sneak out of the Pokemon Center so that he could return to the rock while we were dealing with a couple members of Team Rocket, who'd stolen Pikachu."

Ash paused momentarily to tell Max, Caroline and Norman who Team Rocket were and what they always were trying to do. Once he was complete, he continued on.

"On his way back to the rock, Charmander came across Team Rocket and Pikachu, whom had got away from us. He ordered them to release Pikachu, knowing he was Ash's pokemon. When they wouldn't, he hit them with a flamethrower and managed to save Pikachu." Brock continued on.

"Damien arrived a few moments after we returned, once he regained consciousness obviously. He told Charmander, who was now doubting Damien quite a lot, a blatant lie about how he'd only abandoned him so that he would toughen up. But Charmander knew the truth now. He knew then that Damien was going to abandon him for good, but had seen how he handled Team Rocket and wanted him back because he showed strength. When Damien tried to recapture Charmander, he deflected the pokeball." Ash told the family, remembering every detail of the event. "Damien got so mad...he threatened to crush his other pokemon's pokeballs should he not come back with him..."

"That sick son of a bitch!" Norman couldn't help but yell out this obscenity. If a pokeball was crushed with a pokemon still inside of it, that pokemon would die. This was a widely known fact and was the reason pokeballs were made to be so strong. And just the thought of someone doing this made Norman, along with everyone else, sick to their stomachs.

Ash allowed a toothless smile to spread across his face as he remembered how the story ended. "But Charmander, with an assist from Pikachu here, attacked Damien before he could do anything and made him run off. Charmander then asked to join my team, which I happily accepted. And the rest is history. Charmander...Charizard has been one of my best buddies ever since."

As Ash finished speaking, everyone noticed Charizard's pokeball shake slightly, which indicated that the pokemon was listening in and very much loved his trainer.

"What happened to Damien? Did anyone ever call the police? Did they catch him?" Caroline questioned, hoping that this man would rot in prison for a long time for his heinous crimes.

"Nurse Joy called the police, but I don't think they ever found him. He's probably in another region right now, still being as awful as always..." Everyone was upset about this revelation from Brock, but they knew that there was nothing that hey could do about it. "But I swear if I ever see him again, I'm gonna take my turn to knock him out."

Everyone nodded their head, agreeing with Brock's terms.

"Well, at least everything worked out in the end. Charizard found a much better trainer in you, Ash." Max said, causing Ash to smile appreciatively.

They group then decided to head back inside now that they had nothing else to do in the yard.

* * *

 **A/N: And there's chapter 14! I hope you all enjoyed it! The story of Ash finding Charmander is one of my favorites so I really wanted to go through it again just for nostalgias sake. Please follow, favorite and review! We've broke 100 favorites, follows, and reviews as well as over 12,000 total views! Thank you guys so much for the continued support and I hope Ic an continue to entertain! See ya!**


	15. Sights

How to Change a Life

Once the returned inside, Max asked one more question he had on his mind.

"So, when are you two gonna have your battle?" Max asked Ash and his father.

"I'm game anytime. It's really up to you, Norman." Ash said, looking at the older man.

"Well, I have a few challengers today. My first battle is scheduled to start in a little less than an hour...How about we do it after dinner?" Norman suggested, causing Ash to shrug and agree.

Max was obviously disappointed that he would have to wait so long to see the battle, but begrudgingly accepted it and returned to his room. Though before he left, Max was perked up by Ash telling him that he could show him the strategies he'd talked about sometime before the battle. This news excited the young boy as he now ran happily up to his room, everyone laughing at his drastic change in mood.

"Okay well, I'm going to go get ready for my battle. Gotta make sure my pokemon are feeling 100 percent. And don't worry Ash, I'll make sure that all of my pokemon are in perfect health for our battle." Norman told the man, whom nodded in response.

"Good. Because battling weakened opponents would make my victory feel cheap." Ash spoke competitively, causing the two to exchange smirks before Norman left, not wanting to have their ears grabbed by the girls again.

"And I'm going to work in the yard for a while. I've got quite a bit of work to do. Plus, it's just such a beautiful day. You can't even tell that it rained yesterday." Caroline told the three. She was correct, the ground had already dried almost entirely.

"What do you have to do outside, Mom?" May asked her mother,. It wasn't abnormal for her mother to work in the yard, but May was still curious as to what she was planning on doing on this particular day.

"Oh, well there's a lot of weeds that need pulling. A bit of gardening stuff to deal with. Plus, I'm finally gonna cut down those two dead trees in our back yard." The young mother revealed to the trio. Caroline was the type who loved to keep busy, so this was like heaven to her.

Everyone was surprised by what she planned to do by herself. Brock decided to voice his concerns. "Are you sure that's something you can do by yourself, Caroline?"

"I'm actually not too sure Brock, but I'm going to try!" Caroline spoke happily, despite really not knowing how she would do this alone.

"Why don't you let us help you? We would hate to see you get hurt." Ash offered, with Brock nodding his head in agreement.

May however, appeared disappointed at the prospect, and Caroline noticed this. Seeing her mother's concern over her reaction, May spoke.

"I just thought that now would be a perfect time to show you around the city..." May revealed, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.

It was then Brock had an idea. Something that would solve both problems.

"Why don't you two go explore Petalburg, while I stay behind and help Caroline?" Brock stated as more of a statement than a question.

Before anyone could respond, Brock winked at Caroline, hoping she would understand what he was trying to do. Luckily for him, she did. Brock already assumed that Caroline knew of May's crush on Ash, so the plan was to simply let them hang out alone together.

"Are you sure, Brock? Because as much as I want to see Petalburg, I really don't mind putting that off for a while to help out and I'm sure May doesn't either. I mean, I know you wanted to see Petalburg too..." Ash wasn't sure that this would be okay

"Yeah...It's really not that big of a deal. We have plenty of time to see the city." May relented, wanting to be helpful to her mother. She would be slightly upset should they not be able to explore the city at this time, but she had to be a good daughter first.

"It's really okay, I promise. Plus, I think one extra person is enough to make sure everything here is safe. I can see Petalburg another time while we're here." Brock reassured the pair.

"You two go have fun. And Brock, I very much appreciate the help." Caroline addressed the man, earning a smile and a nod in return.

Ash still felt bad about leaving Brock out, but he really wanted to see Petalburg and he could tell how badly May wanted to show him the city. This is what eventually allowed him to accept.

"Okay...If you're sure." Ash told the two before turning to his buddy Pikachu. "Do you wanna come, or stay here?"

"Pika pi pika." Pikachu told his trainer. He then turned to May to explain what the yellow pokemon had said.

"He said that he wants to stay here and hang out with Torchic. He also said he wants to take a nap." Ash chuckled at his pokemon's laziness when they weren't training or battling.

May nodded at Ash before turning to face Torchic, whom was standing on the ground next to Pikachu. "Does that sound good to you, Torchic?"

"Tor chic tor!" Torchic exclaimed happily, enjoying spending time with her good friend Pikachu. Also, a nap sounded pretty good to her as well.

"Alright. You two be good then." Ash told the two pokemon, causing Pikachu to salute. Seeing Pikachu do this, Torchic became annoyed as she wanted to do this herself. Though, she couldn't because she didn't exactly have what one would consider 'arms'.

Ash then turned to May once again, both chuckling at the chick pokemon. "Do you need to do anything before we go?"

May shook her head, already having everything prepared to go. "Nope. I'm all set. You?"

"No, I'm good to go." Ash responded before bowing forward and extending his arm toward the font door, putting on his fake regal accent. "After you, madame."

May giggled at Ash before doing a curtsy and putting on an accent of her own to match Ash's. "Why thank you, kind sir."

The two chuckled as they made their way through the house and out the front door. When they were out of site, Brock and Caroline couldn't help but smile. Brock then turned to face the woman.

"I was hoping you noticed. " Brock said to the woman, who scoffed in response.

"Please. She is my daughter after all. It's my job to read her. And to know who she has a crush on..." Caroline teased, causing the two of them to laugh. The two then went outside to do whatever yard work needed to be done.

Ash and May were simply walking down the road from her house, not really having seen anything as of yet as they'd only just left.

"So, what's first, May?" Ash questioned, eager to see the city that May grew up in.

May thought about it for a few seconds before smiling as she thought of her answer. "Petalburg Park. It's really close to here and I used to go there all the time when I was younger. Plus, it's still early, so chances are we'll be the only ones there; most families don't come until after around noon."

Ash smiled and nodded at May's words, happy to see the park. The two chatted as the walked just a few minutes before they came to the park. The two stopped walking, simply taking in the sight of it.

The first thing that they noticed was that May was correct, there was no one here as of yet. The jungle gym, the wide open grassy field behind it, the swing set...it all reminded Ash of the park in Pallet Town which he would frequent as a child. Both May and himself enjoyed their nostalgic memories filling their minds as they took a deep breath of the fresh air.

"I have a lot of great memories at this place...And admittedly, a lot of bad ones too." May told Ash, still looking forward. "I was bullied here a lot when I was young, but I still had a lot of fun here growing up."

Ash smiled sadly at may as he recounted his own memories from the Pallet Town park. "I know what you mean. I used to go to the park in Pallet Town all the time as a kid and like you, that was a place where I was picked on a lot. But for some reason, I still love that place. I guess all the good times I had there with my mom, and the rare times I'd actually have someone to play with outweigh the bad."

May let a genuine smile appear on her face as she took in Ash's words. "You're right. The good really does outweigh the bad. At least, in retrospect."

The two shared a laugh at the truthfulness behind May's words before they looked toward the park once again. Though, it was barely a moment before May looked at Ash once more.

"Ash, there's something important I want to tell you..." May sounded incredibly serious, so Ash looked at her intently.

"You're it!"

As May spoke, she tagged Ash on the arms and ran for the jungle gym. Ash, momentarily stunned by what'd just happened, soon let a smile cross his lips as he prepared to give chase.

"Oh, it is so on, Maple!" Ash spoke in mock competitiveness as he took off after the brunette.

May managed to keep away from Ash the entire time they were on the jungle gym. Her only mistake was leaving the jungle gym area and running into the wide open field behind it. She found out the hard way that Ash was a faster straight away runner when he finally caught up to her, both laughing, as Ash grabbed her around the waist and swung her around, causing them both to laugh even harder.

A few moments later, Ash put May down and the two fell back on the grass, lying down on their backs and looking up toward the clouds, both breathing just slightly heavy.

"I think that means you're it, May." Ash teased, despite knowing that impromptu game was over.

May smiled at Ash's comment. "That may be, but I really don't want to get all sweaty."

The two shared a laugh at May's words, with Ash saying that she had a point. The two simply lie there, watching the sky, pointing out shapes that they saw in the clouds.

May found it hilarious that the only shapes it seemed Ash could see were those of pokemon. It was just so like him. After a while, May suggested that they go on the swings while they still had the park to themselves, to which Ash happily obliged.

As they walked, Ash was smiling at the memories replaying in his head. "You know, the swings have always been my favorite. I used to love getting as high as I could and then jumping off, trying to see how far I could go. That led to quite a few scrapes and bruises, but I just loved it."

May smiled at Ash's words before responding. "Me too, actually. I did the same thing. I swear, my mom had a heart attack every time I jumped."

Both Ash and May chuckled at their memories as the two reached the swings and sat down next to each other, swinging only slightly so that they could continue talking.

"Plus, the swings were really the only thing I could do alone and still have fun with." Ash recalled, with May instantly nodding her head in agreement, having been thinking this same thing. Neither Ash nor May were upset about this any longer, but it was simply just another memory from their past.

With neither of them having hardly any friends, they would be forced to play alone frequently, and the swings were really the only thing that they could do by themselves and still have fun.

Since they'd brought up their past so much already, May was curious as to just what Ash's childhood was like. She knew of it in a broad sense, but she wanted to know more.

"Forgive me if this brings down the mood, but was it hard for you? The bullying, I mean." May asked, while explaining what she meant. She wanted to know more about Ash and how his experienced might've mimicked her own.

To May's relief, Ash smiled at the question, obviously over anything that he'd had to deal with as a child.

"It was hard at times, definitely. And I think you know that better than most." Ash stated, earning a nod from the brunette. "Like I said before, Gary was pretty hard to deal with at times. But what was even worse was when all the other kids joined in, even people who used to be my friends."

"That happened to me as well. Not so much something like what you went through with Gary, but people who used to be my friends teasing me just to try to be cool. And I was always treated differently because of who my father is. People just assumed that I believed I was better than everyone just because of who my dad is, which wasn't true in the slightest. They just never gave me a chance to prove them otherwise." May the man beside her.

"I'm sorry, May. I can't even imagine what that must have been like." Ash offered his apologies, even though neither were upset by what they were discussing

Despite the somber topic, neither felt uncomfortable talking about it. Now that they were older, they'd gotten over at least the majority of these things, if not all of them.

May smiled as she looked at Ash once again. "It's not your fault, Ash. But that was the one thing that got to me the most. Did you have something that always got to you?"

Ash's face dropped for just a moment as he recalled the memory. Despite this, both himself and May were ecstatic that they were getting to know each other better, which made them happy to talk about their pasts.

"Yeah there was one thing. For a while...Gary would bring up my dad. How he abandoned my mom and I. He said some pretty horrible things. And this started just a week or so after he left, so I was incredibly sensitive to it." Ash remembered these comments vividly. Though, they were very young when Gary had said these things, so he couldn't really continue to hold it against him too much.

May was shocked and appalled that this Gary person would stoop so low. She felt an incredible amount anger well up inside of her, unable to believe that somebody would use such a topic to hurt someone. She hadn't even met this Gary person and yet, she hated his guts completely.

"Oh, Ash... I'm so sorry." May spoke softly, earning a genuine smile from Ash.

"Like you said May, it's not your fault. And besides, I'm over it. We were young when he said those things. And he stopped after just a couple of weeks." Ash revealed to the brunette.

"What made him stop?" May asked, wondering if something had happened, or if Gary simply felt bad about what he'd said.

Ash couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered what'd happened. "I took his insults for a while, and usually just cried. But one day, what he said made me angry instead of sad. So I hit him. Bloodied his nose real good. Blacked his eye too."

"Good! Little punk deserved it!" May spoke gladly, causing Ash to chuckle once again.

"The only people that knew what Gary was doing were my mother, and his grandfather, Professor Oak. The professor always tried to change Gary, but he would never listen. But I think because of the subject matter this time, he _really_ made sure that Gary wouldn't use those insults again." Ash explained. "But to the other kids, it just seemed like I punched Gary for no reason. At least, that's what he told them. It just made them hate me even more."

May felt bad, knowing how Ash felt. Despite this she was immensely glad she had someone that perfectly understood what she'd gone through as a child, and Ash felt the same in this regard.

"There were these three girls, Lauren, Katherine and Julia, that used to bully me the most. Actually, they never stopped. I had to deal with them right up until I left to start my journey." May revealed to Ash, who was surprised that they'd taken the bullying so far. Though he really shouldn't have been, as people he had to deal with, Gary included, still bullied him up until he left for his journey. "I still don't know why they hated me so much, but they just never relented."

"Like I said before May, they were jealous. They could never be all the wonderful things you are, and they couldn't accept that you were so much better than them in every way." Ash reminded the woman, causing her to smile sweetly in appreciation for his incredibly kind words. Ash then looked ahead once again as he thought of another memory. "There was one girl who's bullying hurt me more than anyone else's. Her name was Leaf. She was really my only friend after Gary and the others turned on me. But when we were around 10 years old, she started wanting to hang out with the 'cool kids'. And these 'cool kids' were the same people who would constantly bully me, and she knew that. So one day, Leaf just started making fun of me along with everyone else. I was so confused... so hurt. I can't remember a time I've cried harder. That felt even more like a betrayal than Gary."

Ash let a sad smile form on his face as May listened intently. "But somewhere around age 15 or 16, she stopped hanging out with Gary and his friends, and stopped bullying me. Looking back now, I can see that Leaf never liked what she was doing to me, but just felt like she had to in order to be accepted. Once she stopped bullying me, I thought maybe we could be friends again..."

May scoffed in amazement before Ash could continue. "Only you would want to be friends with someone who betrayed you like she did."

The two of them chuckled before Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Of course I still hold some anger and resentment over what she did, but it's not enough to where I would never want to be friends with her again. I have a hard time holding grudges, especially against people I care about, even if that person has hurt me. Plus when we were younger, I think it's safe to say that she was not only my only friend, but also my first crush."

May simply smiled at what Ash had said, feeling no jealousy at all at the revelation. A lot of people had crushes when they were young kids and it seemed that for a long time, this Leaf girl was the only friend Ash had. It only made sense that he would've liked her in that way in the past.

"Like I said, I thought we might be able to be friends again, but I'd given up on being anything more than that long before this; even though I truly thought we could be friends again, I can never trust her like I once did. I couldn't be with someone romantically who'd done what she did to me, no matter the reason. But once she stopped hanging out with the people who bullied me, she basically avoided me up until we both left on our journeys. Even when I tried to approach her, she would hardly even look at me. I still have no idea why..." May could her the little bit of sadness creep into Ash's voice at the end of his speech.

It was obvious that Leaf's friendship at one time meant a lot to Ash, and it very much bothered him that he was never able to connect with her again. Hoping to help Ash maybe find some sort of closure, she gave her theory.

"I think she felt guilty." May told to Ash, who looked at her and listened closely to what she had to say. "Like you said, she never liked what she was doing to you. Every time she looked at you, she would be reminded of what she'd done, and she couldn't handle the guilt. Rather than try to make things right, she decided to just avoid you because she couldn't even look at you without feeling like a terrible person. It's wrong and it was an incredibly selfish thing to do, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was. It wasn't because she didn't like you, it was because she liked you so much that she couldn't stand the thought of you possibly hating her. She would rather not know for sure than to have taken the risk of talking to you and discovering that you hated her, even if that wasn't actually the case."

Ash thought over what May had said for a few moments. He realized that it made a lot of sense. Because Leaf had always been so quick to get away from him whenever he would try to talk to her, that he was never able to tell her that he was willing to forgive her and wanted to rebuild their friendship over time. That is, after they had a nice, long talk about everything that'd happened.

"I think you're right, May. I just wish she would've talked to me. When we were younger, we promised each other that we would go on our journeys together and had she let me talk to her, even just once, maybe we still would have." Ash said aloud, really just venting his thoughts. May could tell that all Ash wanted was his friend back. That even despite her turning on him, he still appreciated her being there for him for the time she was.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Ash smiled toothlessly as he remembered something.

"She competed in the Indigo League along with Gary and I, actually. She came in the top sixteen, which is great for a first time competitor. I looked for her the entire time I was there, but I could never find her except for when she was battling, and I couldn't exactly talk to her during a battle..." Ash paused for a moment, thinking. "I know that there's no point in dwelling in the past but I'm just hoping that someday, I might get the chance to tell her that I can forgive her. That I just want to be her friend again."

Ash smiled sadly to himself as he wondered if he'd ever get that chance. Besides Gary, she was really the only person who'd at anytime been his real friend before he went on his journey, and May understood why Ash would value her friendship as much as he did.

"You will." May said after a few moments of silence, causing Ash to look at her. "Don't ask me how I know, but I just do. I can feel it."

Ash smiled gratefully at May and nodded his head. "Thanks, May."

May returned Ash's smile as the two simply gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments before May asked another question that was on her mind.

"Was she really your only friend?" May inquired. Even though she didn't have any people she could call close friends, there were a couple of people who were at least somewhat friendly to her. May was wondering if Ash'd had the same.

"Well, there was this one girl that I met when I was 8 while I was attending Professor Oak's summer camp. Her name was Serena. We became good friends after I helped her out of a jam and for the entirety of camp, we spent basically ever moment together. That was probably the best summer of my life. But at the end of it, she had to leave. She lived in a far away region called Kalos, and she had to return home once the camp was over. We promised each other that we'd meet again one day, I just don't know when that day will be." Ash spoke, clearly remembering the promise as well as the sadness both him and Serena felt when she had to leave.

May actually did feel a hint of jealousy at Ash's words. It was obvious by his tone of voice that he still cared about this Serena girl greatly, even after not seeing her for more than a decade. Though, she got over it quickly as she managed to find herself glad that Ash'd had someone to rely on, even if it was only for a limited amount of time.

"But other than her and Leaf, I didn't really have anyone I could call a friend. Some people were nice enough to me I guess, more indifferent actually, but at the end of the day, they weren't really my friends." Ash continued, explaining his past situation to May. Ash then allowed a smile to spread across his face. "But none of that matters now, because I have great friends like you, Brock, Misty and everyone else that I've met on my journey so far."

May smiled back at Ash, happy that his lack of friends was in the past, just like her. "I was the same way. There were people that were at least somewhat friendly to me I suppose but like you, I couldn't really call them friends."

"But like you said, that's all in the past now. Things are only looking up from here!" May exclaimed happily, earning a similar reaction from Ash.

The two were then broken out of their gaze when the heard the sound of children's laughter coming from the entrance of the park.

Ash, looking at his pokedex, noticed it was now 11:30am. Not quite noon, but close enough to where May's theory of most people not coming until the afternoon was still relatively true.

"Shall we go?" Ash asked, earning a nod from the brunette.

The two both had a great time at the park. They got to relive some of their youth and run around. Plus, they'd learned more about each other, which was always nice.

As the two left the park, May was thinking about where they should go next. There was a small sweets shop that sold a lot of delicious candy and ice cream, which sounded amazing on a hot day like today. Plus, she knew Ash would love to eat as he was pretty much always hungry, much like her self.

May explained where they would be going and as expected, Ash's eyes lit up at her words, causing her to giggle. The walk to the shop wasn't long, so they arrived fairly quickly. Having come here a lot growing up, the owner knew May by name. Of course, it also helped that her dad was without a doubt the most famous person in Petalburg.

May introduced Ash to the man, whom greeted the trainer happily. This was one of the first times the owner saw May come in with anyone besides her family, and it was a boy no less. This led him to insinuate something...

"How about I give you some ice cream cones, on the house!" The owner said, to which Ash and May responded that they would love that and expressed their thanks. "Of course! May, you used to come here all the time and I'm so glad you decided to bring your boyfriend here for a date! It's been an honor being able to watch you grow up over the years."

Both Ash and May went scarlet at the man's words, neither being able to respond right away. Eventually though, May was able to form somewhat of a response.

"Oh, we're not...Ash isn't my...boyfriend." May spoke timidly, incredibly embarrassed by the situation

"Yeah, we're just... really good friends" Ash spoke, equally as timid. He'd experienced a situation like this a time or two with Misty, and he was very embarrassed those times as well but for some reason, he felt even more so in this particular situation than any time in the past.

The owner immediately felt badly about embarrassing the two and making this assumption. The older man smiled apologetically at the two.

"Oh my, I'm terribly sorry. I shouldn't have assumed. But the ice cream is still on me. Sound good?" The owner returned joyfully, causing May and Ash to move past their embarrassment as they thought about the delicious ice cream they were to receive, and for free no less. "What flavors would you like? And how many scoops?"

"3 scoops of mint chocolate chip, please." Both Ash and May said at the same time, causing the owner of the store to laugh, along with May and Ash.

"So that's your favorite too?" May asked Ash, still giggling slightly at what'd happened.

"Yep. Mint chocolate chip is definitely my favorite, but I really don't discriminate when it comes to ice cream." Ash joked, causing May to laugh and agree with the statement.

While they had this conversation, the owner was busy preparing the cones for the two in front of him. The two friends looked back just in time to receive their ice cream.

Both Ash and May thanked the man, whom simply waved off the gesture, saying it was his pleasure. The two then said their goodbyes to the man and turned to leave, only to be stopped by the owner's voice.

"And forgive me if I'm being too intrusive, but I must say it reallya shame you two aren't a couple. You look great together." The owner said, hoping that this might push them in this direction.

Again, both Ash and May found themselves blushing, but quickly forced the redness from their faces and tried their best to simply ignore the comment; though, that was much easier said than done. The two then said their thanks once again and left the store.

"What a nice guy." Ash said offhandedly before licking his ice cream cone.

"Yeah, he's owned that place since before I was born. I've been going to his shop basically my whole life. It really is true that he's watched me grow up. That place was one thing I was really gonna miss when I was going to leave on my journey the first time around." May responded, smiling at the great memories she'd had at the shop.

Both Ash and May had intentionally not brought up what the man had assumed as it simply embarrassed them both. Betides, it didn't seem that there was really much to talk about on the subject for the time being.

The two finished their ice cream cones fairly quickly as the simply wandered around, still close to the sweets shop that they'd just been in. Once the two were finished, Ash couldn't help but still feel hungry. It was around lunch time and having a bit of food just served to make him want lunch even more.

Ash was about to say something about this when his stomach seemingly decided to speak for him. A loud, low growl came from Ash's stomach, which May noticed.

May began chuckling at Ash before teasing him. "Geez, Ash. You're still hungry?"

As soon as May finished speaking through her laughter, her own stomach let out a loud growl, causing her to blush and Ash to laugh.

"Looks like you're still hungry too!" Ash said to the girl in a teasing tone.

May couldn't help but smile as she got over the momentary embarrassment "Yeah, yeah. Let's just go get some food. There's a diner just up the road from here that serves really good food. Great service too."

The idea sounded good to Ash, so he nodded his head in agreement and May led the way to their destination. The two arrived after what was about a three minute walk and entered the building. Surprisingly, the diner wasn't all that busy for it being around lunch time. Though, the two didn't think much of it; this just meant that they would be seated and served faster.

The two were seated in a booth and both ordered copious amounts of food. The two talked about everything under the sun as they waited for their food to be delivered. About 15 minutes later, their food arrived and the two immediately went to work eating it.

It wasn't all that long before both parties finished their food. When they were asked if they wanted dessert, both declined, seeing as they'd already had their dessert in the form of ice cream before their meal.

The two stayed just a while longer, simply chatting with each other, before getting up to leave. Ash offered to pay for the meal, but May tried her best to move him on the subject, saying that she was happy to pay for her share. Ash simply chuckled ad told her that she was showing him around the city, so it was only fair that he paid for their meal. Knowing Ash wasn't going to relent, May decided that she would allow him to do so, though only if he allowed her to pay for the both of them next time they went to a restaurant.

The two then left the diner, content with their full bellies. Just a few steps away from the diner, Ash decided to ask his usual question of where they were to go next.

May thought about it for a few moments, not having a lot of great ideas left. However, she managed to think of one more place that she wanted to visit.

"Let's go to the mall! I told you about it before, remember? It's huge! There's so many stores! I get excited just thinking about it!" May absolutely loved shopping, even if she wasn't planing on buying anything.

Ash tried to stop himself from groaning, but he couldn't help but let one slip out of his mouth as his face dropped just slightly. The reaction caused May to giggle, knowing that a lot of guys dreaded shopping, and Ash appeared to be no different. Despite that, she really wanted him to see the mall. Plus, she thought he would be happy when he discovered the number of shops that catered specifically to trainers.

May managed to pause her giggling so that she could address the raven haired trainer. "Oh come on, Ash. It won't be that bad! Plus, it's pretty much the last place I want to show you. And I don't actually plan on shopping, I just want to show you around. We won't stay long."

Ash thought about it for a moment before letting out a sigh and smiling. "Okay, May. If it'll make you happy."

May smiled in excitement as she began trekking toward the mall. Ash let out one more sigh before shaking his head and chuckling. He then ran to catch up with her, glad that this would at least make May happy.

It was kind of a far walk from their current position to the Petalburg Mall. Said mall was in near the edge of the city, and they were currently still around the middle of it. It took them about eight minutes before the mall entrance was in sight.

"Whoa. You were right, May. This place is massive." Ash marveled at the size of the building. He was surprised that this mall even seemed to rival the one in Viridian City that his mother would drag him to every now and then.

May chortled at the amount of amazement evident in his voice before addressing Ash. "Come on. Let's take a look inside."

Ash nodded at May as the two entered the shopping mall. It was a fairly typical set up for a mall. Different stores lined each wall, each selling both different and similar products to each other. Also in the center of the walkway, many different kiosks were visible, selling seemingly random things. The only kiosk that had any people around it, Ash and May noticed, was the one selling cases with designs on them for what seemed to be every model of pokedex from both Hoenn and the surrounding regions.

"Come on, let's just walk around for a while. And don't let me go into a clothing store! That is, unless you want to be here for a few hours." May teased, Ash causing him to laugh and promise that he would be sure do so.

The two walked around the mall for a while, with May pointing out some of her favorite shops as well as telling Ash of random memories she had at different places throughout the mall.

One thing neither Ash nor May was expecting was the number of people that approached Ash, knowing who he was. Many simply commended him for his performance in the Indigo League and asked him some questions such as if he was planning on competing in the Hoenn League this year since he was in the region. Some people even asked for his autograph and a picture, which Ash happily did for them.

May could tell that Ash didn't exactly like all of the attention, and the 'fish out of water' look he had on his face when the first group of people recognized him made her laugh. But she could see that Ash was becoming increasingly more comfortable the more people he interacted with. It wasn't all that many that approached them, maybe 8-10 people, but it was still a very cool sight to see.

A lot of the people who recognized Ash also recognized May to be Norman Maple's daughter. She was even asked a number of times for her autograph and a picture. After a while, it seemed that no more people would be approaching them; there were probably only so many dedicated trainers in here after all, and those were really the only people who watched the leagues of other regions.

As the two resumed walking after greeting some 'fans', Ash took a deep breath and shook his head, smiling.

"I'll tell you what May, I'm never gonna get used to that." Ash spoke in slight exasperation, though he still housed a smile on his face.

"Well what'd you expect to happen when you won a Pokemon League?" May questioned teasingly, causing Ash to sigh and May to chuckle. "Plus, you only just won a couple of months ago. After a while, it'll die down a lot, I'm sure."

"But hey, you got recognized a lot as well. I was kind of surprised actually." Ash told the brunette.

"Yeah, people recognize me as Norman's daughter, but that really only happens here in Petalburg. Most people don't make a big deal out of it." May explained to the man.

Ash nodded his head at May's words as the two continued walking. May made sure to point out the stores that sold items for pokemon training. She even allowed him to take a quick look inside the store to see what they were selling, even despite their agreement not to enter any shops.

After a while, the two had walked through most of the mall. There was just one more place May wanted to go before they would take their leave.

A large fountain could also be seen from where they were standing, and the two were slowly approaching it. The fountain was beautiful, and Ash admitted that this was one part of going to a mall that he always liked.

May smiled with fondness as she recounted her memories with the fountain.

"Whenever my family and I would come here, we would always come to this fountain. My parents would give Max and I a coin so that we could make a wish. It was always my favorite part of coming here, even the shopping couldn't compare!" May told Ash, causing the man to smile.

May continued looking at the fountain, not noticing Ash rooting around his pockets. As he'd hoped, he had a few coins on him.

Ash gained May's attention by stretching his hand in front of her face. She noticed two coins in his open hand before looking to Ash and smiling brightly. She then took one of the coins, thanking Ash for giving it to her. Ash nodded his head and kept the other coin for himself.

Both then closed their eyes, preparing to make their wish. Before May tossed her coin, she opened her eyes and looked at Ash, seeing his eyes were still closed and he had yet to toss his coin. May smiled warmly as she thought about her wish and closed her eyes once again. She then flipped the coin into the fountain just as she'd done a million times before in her youth.

When she opened her eyes, May noticed that it seemed Ash'd tossed his coin into the fountain as well. The two then smiled at each other.

"So, what'd you wish for?" May questioned Ash, earning a smirk from the man.

"I can't tell you. If I do, it won't come true. And this is one wish I'm really hoping becomes reality." Ash revealed to the woman.

" _Me too."_ May thought to herself. She also very much hoped this particular wish would come true.

The two shared a gaze before being broken out of it by the sound of a new voice.

"May...? May Maple, is that you?!"

Both Ash and My turned around to face the source of the voice. In front of them were three fairly attractive women, two blondes and one with fire red hair, with the redhead standing just slightly in front of the other two.

Ash had no idea who these people were, but it as obvious that they seemed to know May. Ash looked over at May in order to see how she was reacting to these people, if she actually knew them. What he saw made his heart sink.

May's eyes widened and her face was overtaken with horror as she recognized the three girls standing in front of her. What were the chances of her running into the three girls she'd just told Ash about earlier in the day? She'd really hoped to never see these three again but now, it seemed that she would have to deal with them at least one more time.

The redhead, Lauren, put on what was obviously a fake smile as she continued speaking to May. "I knew it was you! I'd recognize that tacky bandana anywhere! What are you still doing in Petalburg, May? I thought you left on your journey already? Did you wimp out? Was it just too scary for you out there, little girl?"

Lauren's tone betrayed her words as she taunted May. Her words caused the two girls behind her to snicker. Upon hearing this comment, Ash's eyes narrowed slightly. He now could safely assume that these were people that'd tormented May in the past, possibly even the three girls he'd been told about earlier.

"You always were a coward." One of the blondes, Katherine added, once again causing her friends to laugh.

Ash had to force himself to restrain his anger as he saw how their words hurt May. He could also see that she was becoming upset and wanted to speak up, but it was obvious that these three girls in particular had an effect on her that made it so she couldn't retaliate in any way. He was now almost certain that these were the girls May had told him about in the park earlier.

"For your information, she _did_ start her journey. A few things just happened that forced her to have to put it on hold for a couple of weeks." Ash spoke, letting some of his anger show in his voice.

If the three girls had noticed his anger, they didn't show it. Instead, all three simply looked Ash up and down, satisfied smiles coming to their faces as they took in his appearance.

The three girls approached Ash closer, smiling seductively at the man. Ash simply stood his ground as the redhead extended her hand for a soft shake and addressed him.

"Why hello there. My name's Lauren, and these are my friends Katherine and Julia What's your name, handsome?" Lauren asked, her voice sultry.

Ash's face never changed from the stoic expression it currently held, nor did he shake the girl's hand.

"Ash Ketchum, May's _friend_." Ash told the three, putting extra emphasis on the final word. He wanted to insinuate that he was not appreciating what they were doing to May. He also refused to shake the red head's hand.

"Wait, Ash Ketchum?" Katherine asked, amazed. She recognized his name from the TV, being a big fan of pokemon battling. "The same Ash Ketchum that just won the Indigo League, becoming the youngest ever winner of a Pokemon League Tournament?!"

Both of her friend's eyes widened at the revelation, while Ash simply nodded his head, indicating that he was the person they thought he was. His face held stoic throughout.

"Wow...Hot and successful...That's a pretty deadly combination. Why don't you come hang out with us? We can get you away from this hideous... _thing_.'" Lauren said, referring to May.

"No thanks. Now we'd appreciate it if you left us alone." Ash spoke forcefully. He was attempting to end this amicably, but he could tell that they weren't going to be leaving just like that.

"Why would you want us to leave? We're three beautiful, smart, funny girls wanting to get to know you better. Who would refuse that? And besides, why would you want to stick around with this troll? You must not know much about her. She doesn't deserve anyone's kindness. She's an ugly troll who lives off of her daddy's fame with no personality of her own!" The other brunette, Julia said, causing Ash's blood to boil.

The woman's words struck May's heart deeply. Even if she'd learned to mostly ignore the bullying over the years, these three girls could always get to her for some reason. And she had no idea why they even thought these things. She'd never once used her father to get anything. And she had a great personality, she just didn't want to share it with these terrible people.

Ash felt his anger rise, flashing it slightly on his face for a moment. Luckily, he knew how to control himself, and it helped that they were women. If the three in front of him were guys, Ash wasn't sure he wouldn't have laid one of them out by now. He clenched his fists as an outlet for this anger, his knuckles turning white and his fingernails digging into his palms.

"I'll ask you again. Please. Leave." Ash spoke sternly, clearly showing that he was not okay with the way they were speaking to May. Despite his words and tone of voice, the three girls simply kept up their smirks and didn't back down.

Lauren even approached Ash closer, placing a hand on his chest. "Playing hard to get, eh? I like that..."

"Get your hand off of me." Ash spoke in a deadly calm tone of voice that momentarily made Lauren drop her smirk and remove her hand. Though, she recovered quickly and while the smirk returned to her face, she did not attempt to touch the man again.

"This is the last time I'll ask. Leave us alone. I'm just trying to have a nice day with my best friend. And I really don't appreciate the way you're talking about her." Ash told the girls, giving them one last chance to just walk away, and never bother them again. He then grabbed May around the waist and pulled her as close as he could to his body, showing that he was by her side no matter what. This definitely comforted May, if only just slightly

It was very obvious that these three girls weren't used to getting turned down, and they'd become slightly frustrated because of it.

"What's your problem? Why would you want to hang out with that entitled, bitchy piece of trash when you could be with three incredible women like ourselves?" Lauren questioned, her frustration showing in her voice.

May still couldn't find the words to respond as she felt every word they said strike her heart. Her eyes were locked with the ground below her and a sad look was present on her face as tears welled up in her eyes. She'd learned long ago that if she would just take their harsh words, they would leave after a while. She turned her body slightly and buried herself in Ash's side, holding onto his shirt tightly.

Ash couldn't hold back anymore. He wasn't going to allow anyone, especially not these three three, to make fun of May any longer.

"That's enough!" Ash shouted, startling the three girls and drawing some eyes to them. May also forced herself to look up at the scene, surprised by the outburst. "The only 'trash' I see around here is you! How can you live with yourselves when you intentionally hurt someone who's never done anything to you!?"

"But she's such a spoiled brat! She thinks she's better than us just because her father is a Gym Leader!" Julia exclaimed, defending herself and her friends.

Ash looked at the woman with disbelief evident on his face. "You know absolutely nothing about May, do you? You are so wrong about her. I'd rather be with her than you any day!"

"But why?! We're so much better than her!" Lauren yelled, causing Ash to scoff.

"Are you kidding me?! The reason you bully May is because you're _not_ better than her! You're jealous!" Ash screamed in response. He knew that they were making a scene but at this point, he couldn't bring himself to care.

The three girls were taken about by Ash's statement, Lauren especially so. "We-We aren't jealous of he-"

"You're jealous because no matter how hard you try, May will always be better than you in every conceivable way! You resent her because you'll never be as smart, as funny, or as beautiful as she is! You're bitter that she's such an incredibly amazing person, whereas you three are nothing but bitches! Now I suggest you leave us alone, and never bother May again. I can't even stand to look at you." Ash finished, his voice full of force and disdain.

Ash normally wasn't one to speak like this, but these girls needed to be chewed out. And for all they'd put May through, this still didn't even seem like enough.

The three girls' mouths floundered, not knowing how to respond. They'd never experienced something like this before. They also couldn't bring themselves to move from their spots.

May pulled her head back and looked between Ash and the three girls, amazed and taken aback by what'd happened. For the longest time, May had wanted these three to be put them in their place, and Ash had done just that. In her defense no less. And all the amazing things Ash had said about her, she was so incredibly thankful that he was here. These girls would always get the best of her and she would never be able to respond, but having Ash to do what she'd always wanted to filled her with a sense of relief and happiness. It was strange, but this was almost like a form of closure for her.

Ash looked over the girl's heads, noticing a security guard approaching them. He let out a quiet sigh as he thought about what to say to get them out of any trouble that they might be in.

The guard walked past the three girls, stopping when he stood in front of Ash. The officer then locked eyes with the man.

Ash was about to speak in defense, but the officer beat him to it. "Are these women bothering you, Mr. Ketchum?"

Ash was incredibly surprised by the question. He'd assumed that he was simply the person that the security officer had decided to yell at, but it seemed that wasn't the case. As it turned out, the officer knew who Ash was, and was quite obviously a fan.

As he got over the shock of this, he let a small smirk spread across his face as he turned his head to face the three women in front of him.

"Yes they are, officer. They were harassing my friend here, even after I asked them nicely to stop and leave us alone." Ash explained to the officer, who nodded at Ash.

Both Ash and May watched as the security guard turned his head to face the three girls and address them. "I'm going to have to ask you three to leave the premises."

The man's words are what finally broke the girls out of their stupors. They were all incredibly shocked by what was happening.

The redhead then tried to defend herself and her friends. "But wait! W-We didn't do anything!"

Despite her words, the officer wasn't changing his mind as he motioned for the girls to go. "Please leave the mall willingly, or we will have to force you out and contact the authorities."

As the three girls were being pushed along, they looked over their shoulders to see Ash waving at them, a mocking smile on his face.

As this was going on, May was simply staring at Ash in a mixture of amazement and gratefulness, still standing next to him with his arm around her waist. What he'd just done was something she'd wished she'd been able to do for years. She'd never had anyone to defend her before. She'd always been so alone when it came to situations like this..It was then that it occurred to her that she would now always have Ash in her corner and he was the best protector she could ever dream of. She felt tears pricking at the sides of her eyes as she continued staring at the man, who was still watching the three girls leave.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about them anymore, May." As Ash finished speaking, he turned his head to look at May. He immediately noticed the look she was giving him, which made his heartbeat quicken. The two simply shared this gaze for a few moments before May twisted her body. Still keeping Ash's arm around her, and engulfed the man in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Ash. Thank you so much." May mumbled, her face buried in Ash's strong chest. She even let a few tears of gratefulness fall from her eyes during this time.

Ash smiled warmly as he rubbed the girl's back. "I said I'd always be there for you, didn't I? And besides, those girls needed to be taught a lesson in respect."

May giggled and nodded into Ash's chest as they continued the hug for a while longer. Eventually, both May and Ash released each other, sharing a sweet smile between them.

"I've never had anyone defend me like that before. I could usually handle bullies, but those...bitches just always knew how to get to me." May spoke, still feeling an incredible amount of emotion for the man in front of her over what'd just happened.

Ash's toothless smile grew wider at May's words. "Even though you're incredibly strong May, I know it can be hard to stand up for yourself sometimes. But you don't have to worry about that anymore because now, you have friends that will always be there for you. And I'll always be there to help you when you need it, just like I know you will be for me."

Ash sentimental words caused May to rush forward to hug Ash once again. Every moment May spent with Ash, her feelings for the man would grow. She loved being around him more than anything else in the world.

May smiled in wonder looked Ash in the eye with intense happiness. "Have I told you that meeting you was the best thing that's ever happened to me?"

While May's half teasing, but completely truthful words caused him to blush slightly, Ash still managed to tease back. "Once or twice, though it is nice to hear. But I think you might be starting to give me an ego problem."

The two best friends laughed at Ash's joking words before simply gazing at each other once again.

"We've both said it before, but it doesn't hurt to remind each other. Meeting you was the best thing that's ever happened to me as well, May. And I thank Arceus everyday that I survived that fall just so I would be able to get to know you." Ash told the brunette sincerely, causing May's happiness to reach new heights.

The two smiled at one another for a few more moments before they decided that they should leave the mall. As they approached the glass door, the saw that the three bullies were standing just outside the mall doors.

Secretly, May had been hoping that they would run into Lauren, Julia, and Katherine outside the mall so that she could rub it in their faces. And when she looked at Ash with a smirk, seeing he had one of his own, she knew he was on the same page.

Ash extended his arm, which May grabbed onto tightly.

"Shall we?" Ash asked May rhetorically, the devious smirk still present on his face.

"Oh, we shall." May responded as the two began walking for the doors. When they exited, the three girls turned around to watch Ash and May pass by, with May looking as if she was cozying up to Ash. This was very much intentional as she knew it would make the girls jealous that she was doing this with such an attractive guy.

Understandably, Lauren Julia and Katherine were beyond mad at the two people walking past them. Especially when May sent a victorious smirk their way, successfully rubbing it in their faces.

With their anger reaching a head, they began storming toward the two, which the both of them sensed.

"Stop! Who do you think you ar-"

Lauren was forced to stop talking when Ash grabbed for a pokeball and released his Charizard. Ash hopped on his pokemon's back and offered his hand to May in order to help her on. Once both were seated on Charizard's back, May turned to Lauren to address her.

"I'm sorry, you were saying?" May asked innocently, loving how intimidated they were by Charizard. When none of the three girls responded, May simply giggled. "That's what I thought. I would say I hope to see you soon...but I really don't."

As May finished speaking, Ash indicated for Charizard to begin flying. Immediately picking up at least some of what was happening, Charizard made sure to flap his wings extra hard at take off, knocking one of the girls back by the sheer force of the wind that was created. The other two who'd managed to hold their ground had their hair blown all over the place, which was a big deal as their appearance was obviously one of the most important things to them as they were all incredibly superficial.

Once Ash and May took to the skies, they both began laughing hysterically. That whole event had been so satisfying to May, especially that last part.

"Oh man, that was satisfying!" May managed to yell out between her laughs.

"I don't even know those girls other than what you've told me and what happened back there, but I'm glad that we put them in their place. Great job, Charizard!" Ash patted his pokemon as they continued to fly through the skies. Charizard roared in appreciation for the praise.

"I wish I would've met you years ago. Maybe I wouldn't have had to put up with them for so long." May mentioned offhandedly, causing Ash to nod his head in agreement.

"What I don't understand is how they came to the conclusion they did about you. I mean, I don't know how they could be so wrong..." Ash spoke incredulously, unbelieving that anyone would think someone like May was in any way a bad person.

Ash felt May shrug her shoulders as her arms were wrapped around his torso, holding on as they flew.

"Even though I didn't act like it, people just assumed that I thought I was better than everyone because of who my dad was. And because hardly anyone wanted to talk to me, I stayed quiet most of the time, and people read that a me thinking I was 'to good for them' somehow. And like what happened with you, it became 'cool' to pick on me. But that's all in the past now. It's not something either of us will ever have to worry about again." May finished happily, causing both people to smile brightly.

"You're right, May. Nothing but good times are ahead for us." Ash responded in a relaxed tone of voice. "By the way, where should I tell Charizard to go?

Since they'd taken off, Charizard had just been flying in large circles since he was not told of a specific location to go. May thought about it for a second, wondering if there was another place that she wanted to go. Though after a few moments, she came to the conclusion that there really wasn't much else to see. Plus, hanging out at home for a while before dinner sounded nice to the brunette.

"Tell him to take us back to my house. There's not much else I want to show you really." May told Ash, with Charizard hearing her command and happily obliging to it. May then looked down at the ground, noticing she could see all of Petalburg from up here. It was truly a beautiful sight. "Besides, this is the best view of Petalburg I've ever seen."

Upon hearing May's words, Ash looked toward the ground as well, taking in the sight. He wasn't new to flying like May was, but he still appreciated the beauty and excitement that soaring through the skies always brought. Seeing a town, especially one as big as Petalburg, from up above was an incredibly cool thing to see.

"Charizard, take it slow..." Ash told the pokemon, whom did as told. When May saw Ash looking in amazement over the edge of Charizard's back, she knew he'd told him to slow down so that they would be able to take in the view for a while longer, which May appreciated greatly.

They stayed in the air for a while longer, even flying past the gym once as to extend their flight. Though eventually, Ash told Charizard to land in the backyard of the Maple household.

* * *

 **A/N: And there's chapter 15 of "How to Change a Life"! I hope you enjoyed it and I'm sorry for it coming out so late. I'm still adjusting to my new schedule with school and baseball. Plus, the amount of reviews on the last couple of chapters haven't been many. But I'm just nitpicking here. For all of you that review or shoot me a PM, than you so much. You're the reason I do this. And for those who don't, what are you doing! I obviously don't expect you to review every chapter, but please let me know what you think at some point. Anyway, I'll see you in just a couple of days for chapter 16! Please follow, favorite and most importantly, review. See ya!**


	16. Friend

How to Change a Life

After the two landed, they got off of the large pokemon before Ash thanked Charizard and told him to take a good, long rest. Both Brock and Caroline were still working outside, so they immediately noticed Ash and May's arrival. Torchic and Pikachu were also outside, the pair noticed. Their high levels of energy they clearly had old them that they'd taken their previously planned nap.

The two pokemon ran to their respective trainers and greeted them happily. May picked up Torchic to hug her as Pikachu reclaimed his spot on Ash's shoulder.

Then, both Brock and Caroline approached the two and greeted them with smiles, which Ash and May returned.

"So, how was it?" Caroline asked, hoping that the two'd had a wonderful day. She was very happy to receive two beaming smiles in response to her question.

"It was incredible, Mom. We went to the park, got some lunch and ice cream, and we finished up by going to the mall." May told Caroline and Brock what they'd done.

Brock looked at Ash in surprise, whom understood what Brock was shocked about. Brock then turned his gaze back to May. "How'd you get this one to go to a mall? Ash avoids them like the plague."

Everyone laughed at Brock's, while Ash stuck out his tongue and responded. "May said it was something I had to see, and she really wanted to go. Plus she said we didn't have to stay for long or actually go into any stores...But we still had a good time!"

Everyone chuckled again at the explanation. Then, May remembered what'd happened and couldn't wait to tell her mother.

"Oh and the greatest thing happened at the mall! Mom, you're gonna love this." May said to her mother, peaking her interest. Ash smiled as he knew what May was talking about and was incredibly glad he was able to bring her such happiness."You know the three girls that would always bully me, Lauren, Julia, and Katherine..."

At the mention of their names, Caroline scowled. She'd always hated those three for hurting her daughter for seemingly no reason, and for years no less. Caroline had long wanted to stop them herself, but May always told her not to as it would only make things worse having her mom fight her battles for her. And Caroline knew that May was right about that, so she allowed May to try to take care of it herself, which she sadly knew her daughter wasn't able to do as of yet.

"Well, we ran into them at the mall. They started harassing me like they always do, which hurt me a lot. But Ash came back at them! He really put them in their place. We even got them kicked out of the mall!" May spoke with elation, so incredibly happy that she was finally able to get back at the girls who'd caused her so much pain.

Caroline was equally as happy, as vindictive as it may sound. Her parents hated how their daughter was treated, her father especially when he found out that he was part of the reason that they would bully her. And even though May always told them she was fine, they knew that not having hardly any friends really affected her growing up.

But now, they didn't have to worry about that ever again. May had made new friends in Brock and Ash. She'd managed to befriend two of the best people on the planet, and the best was the only thing their daughter deserved.

"They were just such..." Ash cut himself off, not knowing exactly what to call them.

"Bitches?" Caroline added, causing everyone to look at her in surprise before bursting out in laughter.

"There's the word I was looking for!" Ash joked, keeping the laughter going. After a few moments, it died down and the four fell into a comfortable silence.

"I'm so glad that you won't have to deal with those girls again. Just the thought of them makes my blood boil." Caroline stated, frustration at the mere thought of these girls evident in her voice.

Brock didn't know the whole story, but he'd picked up bits and pieces through their speech, which led to him mostly understanding the situation. Everyone present nodded their heads in agreement at Caroline's words.

"I'm gonna grab a bottle of water. Do you guys want one?" May questioned, pointing to her house with her thumb as she asked. Ash said that he was okay while Caroline and Brock happily accepted her offer. And with that said, May strolled happily to the house.

When May was out of sight, Caroline looked to Ash and shot him an appreciative smile. "Thank you for being there for her. She's always had a hard time dealing with those three"

Ash smiled warmly in response to the mother's words. "Of course, Caroline. I promised I'd always be there for her. And she's always there for me, so it's only fair I return the favor."

"I was bullied a lot before I went on my journey as well and I can't say I had a single real friend before I left Pallet. So I can relate to what May went through, and that makes it easier to understand and be there for each other. And May's already become one of my best friends, so of course I'm always gonna be there to help her." Ash told the older woman, whom smiled warmly in response.

Caroline then proceeded to hug Ash much like she had when he first arrived, though not as tightly.

"Thank you for caring for my May." Caroline said, still in the embrace. She then pulled back and looked to Brock. "Thank both of you for caring for May. I'm so glad she has friends like you."

"Are you kidding, Caroline? If anyone should be giving out thanks, it should be us. You raised May to be an amazing person. We're both lucky to have even gotten the chance to be friends with her." Ash responded happily, causing the mother to smile warmly.

May had been returning from inside, water bottles in hand, just when her mom was thanking Ash and Brock for being such good friends to her. She walked slowly, not wanting to be noticed so that she would be able to hear Ash and Brock's response. And she wasn't disappointed with what Ash said.

Ash's kind words just meant so much more to May than those coming from anyone else. She admired the man immensely, so knowing how highly he thought of her would always serve to make her feel incredible.

Having successfully eavesdropped on the conversation, May decided to approach the trio completely and make herself known. Once she arrived by their side, she handed the two water bottles to Brock and Caroline, who thanked her in response.

Both Brock and Caroline chugged the entirety of their bottles, gasping for air once they finished. When they noticed Ash and May looking at them incredulously, both Brock and Caroline chuckled.

"We've been out here since you guys left. Hard work always makes you thirsty!" Caroline said happily before everyone shared a laugh.

After the mother finished speaking, Ash and May looked over to where the two dead trees used to be, noticing that they were now gone.

"Glad to se you guys got those trees down. Was it tough?" Ash questioned, making conversation.

"Well, it wasn't what I'd call easy, but having an extra set of hands definitely sped things up a bit." Caroline responded, motioning to Brock.

"I'm just glad we're done. Yard work was always my least favorite thing to do when I was still the guardian of my brothers and sisters back at home." Brock revealed, which made Caroline appreciate his help even more so than she already did.

"I think you guys more than earned a break." May responded, noticing just how tired the two looked.

Both Brock and Caroline nodded at the young woman's words.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go shower and then take a nap for an hour or so. Working in this heat really zapped my energy." Brock stated, his exhaustion evident in his voice.

"I'm going to get some rest as well so that I'm fully rested to make dinner! I also don't want to be tired for your battle with Norman." Caroline spoke excitedly. She'd been a trainer in her youth and still very much appreciated a good battle.

Upon being reminded of his upcoming battle, Ash's eyes lit up and a wide smile grew on his face. Pikachu also become noticeably excited at the mention of the battle. May couldn't help but chuckle at Ash's instant change in expression. He truly did love battling more than anything, and it was clear to see that his pokemon felt the same.

At this moment, an idea popped into Ash's head. He turned to May, gaining her attention before asking his question. "Do you think your dad would mind if we watched one of his gym battles?"

May simply nodded her head, fairly certain that her father wouldn't mind. Max watched the majority of his gym battles and she'd even watched a few, s it clearly wasn't against the rules or anything like that.

Caroline also decided to chime in on the topic. "I'm sure he'd be more than okay with it. Actually, Max is probably watching right now. I believe he has a challenger at the moment. If you hurry, you can probably catch the tail end of the battle."

The excitement Ash felt became even greater as he grabbed May's wrist and started toward the gym. Before they began running, Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder to run along side them. "Come on, May! This is gonna be awesome!"

As the two ran, May couldn't help but laugh as she tried to keep up with the man, which was kind of hard to do considering she still had Torchic in one arm. Ash's childlike excitement was actually making her want to see the battle badly as well, which was saying something considering her past feelings on pokemon.

Both Brock and Caroline watched as the two disappeared inside the house, with their final destination being the gym. Both people shook their heads and chuckled before following them inside and going upstairs to bathe and rest up.

The two reached the entrance to the gym quickly. Hoping to enter quietly, the pair decided to walk in through the door in the house and not the main doors from the outside. As soon as they entered, they immediately looked to their right and saw Max sitting on the bleachers that'd been shown to them during the tour. Though now, the bleachers were rolled out from the wall, making them usable.

The two quickly made their way to Max and sat down next to him, gaining his attention. Max said his greetings without even tearing his eyes from the battlefield. It wasn't long before bot May's and Ash's eyes fell that way as well.

"So what'd we miss, Max?" Ash questioned, surveying the scene.

"They're both down to their last pokemon. Slaking versus Milotic." Max responded, his gaze similarly not leaving the field.

A referee was also positioned where one would normally be when officiating a battle. They watched as the challenger reached for her ball and released her pokemon.

"Wow, look at how beautiful that pokemon is..." Ash spoke in amazement. While this wasn't normally something he looked for in a pokemon, he could appreciate the look of this Milotic.

May was way ahead of Ash in noticing the beauty of the pokemon on the field before her. She'd never seen anything like it.

But this Milotic was something else. It was almost regal, exuding an elegance that May had never seen from a pokemon before. May become greatly interested in how the pokemon would battle.

The two had still yet to start their final battle when Ash brought out his pokedex to learn more about the beautiful pokemon the challenger was using.

Once the pokedex finished informing the trio about the pokemon, Ash returned the device to his pocket. "A water type, huh? I wonder what her trainer is gonna call for first?"

Upon hearing Ash's question, the three people and two pokemon looked closer at the Milotic's trainer. It was a girl who looked to be around May and Ash's age who appeared to be around the average height for a woman with a slender, athletic build. She had long brown hair that reached the small of her back and was wearing a simple teal tank top, with a light white jacket over it and black pants. All in all, she was definitely what one would consider an attractive girl.

Though, the main thing everyone noticed wasn't her overall appearance, but instead the intensely determined look she held on her face. Max recognized it immediately as it was strikingly similar to the face Ash would make when he was in the heat of battle. Ash smiled widely as he also recognized this, glad to see another person so passionate about battling.

"Slaking, use Hammer Arm to start things off!" Norman commanded. It wasn't a second later that the man's best pokemon began charging toward Milotic.

Even despite the fact that Slaking was closely approaching, the woman didn't appear at all concerned. This seemed foolish to someone not very knowledgable about pokemon battling like May as to her, it seemed as if the challenger was just going to allow her pokemon to take the hit. But to people like Max ad Ash, they knew she had to have a plan and trusted her pokemon enough to believe that she would follow the plan to perfection.

Just before Slaking was to bring his arm down on what seemed to be a defenseless Milotic, the woman shouted her first command.

"Dodge and use Twister!" The woman shouted, her pokemon doing exactly as she'd commanded.

Due to Milotic's slender, eel like body, evading the lumbering arm of the ape-like pokemon wasn't very difficult. Milotic moved gracefully out of the way, causing Slaking's arm to smash into the ground, which led to pain shooting through the ape's appendage.

Before Slaking could even think to react, he was consumed in a powerful gust of wind that sent him flying back toward Norman. The leader's pokemon landed harshly on the ground in front of him.

Despite this, Norman didn't seem to be concerned. Everyone understood why when Slaking regained his footing almost immediately, appearing more determined and angry than before, with only minor visible injuries. Ash immediately recognized this as a testament to just how well trained Norman's pokemon were.

The young woman on the other side of the field appeared very happy with herself as her pokemon slithered back in front of her.

Norman had his arms crossed over his chest, a slightly impressed look o his face.

"Pretty good, Alyssa. But you're gonna have to do better than that if you want to beat me!" Norman challenged, causing a competitive smirk to grow on the newly identified woman's face.

"Oh, I plan on it!" Alyssa responded back before both trainers called out their next move.

As the match continued, the three people watching in the stands remained deeply engaged in the battle.

The eel-like pokemon had just evaded an attack using hydro pump to lift herself into the air when Ash began to speak.

"Milotic's movements are so graceful. And her moves are so...pretty. They're clearly powerful, but there's a certain elegance to them as well." Ash spoke in wonder. He'd never really been one to focus on the beauty of pokemon, but this was another story.

"From what I've about Milotics, they're known to be the most beautiful pokemon in the world. And their moves are just inherently more graceful than other pokemon. At least, that's what the Encyclopedia of Pokemon says." Max stated, adding clarity to the situation.

Normally, May would've taken this opportunity to tease Max for being so nerdy but at the moment, she was too enthralled with the match to do so. Though, it wasn't so much the actual battling that May was interested in, more the Milotic. She still couldn't get over just how beautiful the pokemon was and the gentility she exuded.

May believed Max to definitely be correct in his facts of the pokemon. She'd always been one for beautiful things, and this pokemon epitomized the word.

After a hard fought battle, Slaking finally managed to hit Milotic with a Body Slam, followed closely behind with another Hammer Arm, effectively knocking out the elegant pokemon.

And although he was victorious, it was clear to see that Slaking was definitely feeling the effects of the battle. The pokemon was having a hard time staying upright and found it best to simply fall to one knee once the flag was raised, signifying the end of the match. He would definitely need to be healed if he was going to face Ash later in the day. Norman then returned his pokemon and thanked him for his hard work.

The trio noticed that while visibly disappointed with the outcome, Alyssa was still immensely grateful for the effort her pokemon put in. She approached her downed pokemon, who had just regained consciousness, and kneeled down to face her.

As Milotic saw her trainer, she looked down, disappointed in herself for the loss. Though, she brought her head right back up when she heard her trainer speak.

"Hey, it's okay, Milotic. You were amazing out there! We just came up short this time, that's all! Norman is known to be one of the toughest of the Hoenn Gym Leaders after all. We just have to train some more and next time, we're gonna be the one's coming out on top! So don't feel down Milotic, I'm really proud of you." Alyssa reassured her pokemon as everyone watched the scene happily.

Milotic smiled brightly and let out a cry of happiness before Alyssa returned the pokemon, telling her to take a nice, long rest.

As she stood up, she noticed that Norman had approached her and they were now standing face to face. Norman had his hand outstretched for a shake, which Alyssa happily returned.

"That was a great match, Alyssa. I haven't had a battle that fierce in quite some time. Fantastic job. I look forward to our rematch." Norman spoke sincerely as he broke the handshake.

It was clear to see that Alyssa wasn't really one for receiving praise as she reddened just slightly and became slightly embarrassed at Norman's words.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I did lose the battle, after all..." Alyssa responded, her voice dropping just slightly.

It was clear to see that she very much didn't believe that she deserved to be praised. In fact, she was beginning to feel as if she'd let her pokemon down, even despite what she'd said to Milotic just seconds before. What no one knew was that this was something Alyssa felt often after losing an important match, but she would always get over it at some point. But for the time being, this feeling was very much present.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. Your battling style is really amazing! And it's clear to see that you have a deep bond with your pokemon. You really have a lot of talent! No offense to you Norman but even if just one thing would've been different, you would've won, Alyssa." The voice had come from Ash, who along with Max, May, Torchic and Pikachu, had begun approaching the two on the battlefield.

Both leader and challenger were surprised to see anyone other than Max in the large room as they'd both been so into their battle that they hadn't noticed anyone besides the young enter the gym. They both concluded that Ash and May must've joined sometime after the battle had already begun.

Alyssa turned her attention to the source of the voice, not yet recognizing the two new arrivals. She'd been asked if she would mind if Norman's son Max could watch the battle before they started, so she'd known he was here. And while she didn't mind others having watched her battle, she wasn't aware of these two having joined.

That being said, the man's comments did make her feel slightly better. He was clearly being sincere and truly believed what he was telling her. She was about to thank the unidentified man for his kind words when suddenly, her eyes widened and she froze in her spot.

Everyone noticed this and wondered exactly what was going on. Though after what'd happened at the mall earlier in the day, May had a pretty good idea of what was happening here.

"You're Ash Ketchum..." Alyssa managed to get out, her eyes remaining the size of saucers. Her voice was full of both amazement and disbelief.

Ash simply chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head and reddened slightly, still not used to receiving this reaction from people. In fact, he very much doubted he'd ever get used to this.

"Yeah, that's me. It's nice to meet you, Alyssa. You really were great out there." Ash spoke in a friendly tone as he stuck out his hand for a shake. Despite this, Alyssa still didn't respond in any way for a few more seconds.

Though eventually, she finally grabbed Ash's hand with her own as she regained a semblance of composure. She reddened at her previous reaction and shook the man's hand much too roughly, though Ash didn't mind.

Just a few moments later,a bright smile appeared on Alyssa's face as she finally composed herself completely and could simply appreciate and say her introductions to the person she was meeting.

"Oh, um...hi! I'm Alyssa, even though you already knew that. ...And you're Ash Ketchum..." Alyssa almost let herself go back into dreamland before she composed herself once again. "It's so amazing to meet you! I'm such a huge fan! Your story and performance in the Indigo League really inspired me to be the best trainer I can be!"

Everyone couldn't help but chuckle at the sheer amount of excitement in Alyssa's voice while Ash was still just chuckling in embarrassment.

"Wow, I actually inspired you?" Ash questioned incredulously. That'd never been something Ash had ever really thought about. He simply battled because he wanted to be the best, but he supposed if he could inspire people while doing this, then that was a pretty cool side effect.

Upon seeing Alyssa nod, Ash continued speaking. "Wow, um, thank you. I really appreciate your kind words and support."

At the mention of 'kind words', Alyssa remembered what Ash had said about her battle. Her face went red once again, unbelieving that a trainer as well respected as Ash had complimented her skills.

"Did you really think I did well in the battle?" Alyssa asked timidly, still not fully believing that Ash Ketchum was complimenting her battling style.

By this point, Ash had gotten over his embarrassment, much like Alyssa had gotten over her own extreme excitement, as he nodded his head in the affirmative.

"Of course! I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it was true. You almost had him there at the end, isn't that right, Norman?" Ash directed the question at the gym leader.

"Yeah, you really did. To be honest, I wasn't at all confident that I was going to win that last matchup. That Milotic of yours is very strong." Norman complimented the young woman, who'd brought her gaze from Ash back to Norman as he spoke.

Hearing all of this high praise had managed to rid Alyssa of any and all negative feelings she'd had about herself. Instead, she was now only filled with happiness and excitement. That being said, she was now back to normal, and wouldn't be overly excited anymore; she didn't want to freak these people out with her crazy reactions to meeting someone who could be considered a celebrity.

"Milotic was the first pokemon I ever caught. We've only been traveling a few months, but we've been through a lot together.." Alyssa smiled warmly as she reminisced all the times she'd shared with not only Milotic, but all of her pokemon as she looked at Milotic's pokeball on her belt.

"It's obvious that you two have a deep bond, and that's the most important part of being a trainer. Creating bonds and friendships with your pokemon is an invaluable thing to have for a bunch of reasons, and I'm glad that you have that. You and Milotic kind of remind me of myself and Pikachu here." Ash pointed toward his shoulder, which Pikachu had just recently jumped up on.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, happy to be a part of the conversation. Everyone chuckled at his adorable voice and excitement.

Alyssa's eyes lit up as she locked eyes with the electric pokemon. She'd seen him battle all throughout the Indigo League and had been incredibly impressed with his speed and power.

Alyssa looked to Ash, her glance asking if she could pet his pokemon. Ash simply smiled and nodded his head before the young woman reached up and pet Pikachu between the ears.

It was obvious that Pikachu was loving the petting he was receiving as he was making a face that made it clear that he was in heaven at the moment, which caused everyone to laugh.

"Man, I have no idea how you can pack so much power into such a small body." Alyssa said, causing Max and Norman to nod their heads in agreement with the statement.

Once Alyssa pulled back from petting Pikachu, she realized that there was still another person present whom she had yet to introduce herself to. The two woman locked eyes before Alyssa extended her hand for a shake, which May happily accepted.

"I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to ignore you. My name is Alyssa. It's nice to meet you!" Alyssa finally introduced herself to the fellow brunette.

"Oh, don't even worry about it. I'm May, Norman's daughter. It's nice to meet you too, Alyssa." May responded cheerfully.

It was then that May thought it a good time to bring up what she'd wanted to say to Alyssa when they'd first approached her.

"Your Milotic is so beautiful! And the way she moves, the way she battles is just so fluid and graceful. It was truly a pleasure to see." May told Alyssa, who smiled and nodded in response.

"Thank you. Milotic really is a beautiful pokemon. I caught her as a Feebas which, as I'm sure you know, aren't exactly known for their looks. All she ever wanted was to become a beautiful Milotic, and she accomplished that dream just a couple of months ago." Alyssa informed the group.

"Wow, Feebas are really rare! And you said that it was the first pokemon you ever caught?" Max questioned. Seeing the young woman nod her head, Max continued. "You're really lucky to have found such a rare pokemon so early in your journey."

Alyssa nodded her head happily once again. "I was very lucky to get the chance to meet Milotic as early as I did. I count my blessings everyday for getting the chance to meet all of my pokemon."

Ash was very happy with Alyssa's outlook on pokemon as it mirrored his own. "That's really great, Alyssa. That's exactly how people should feel about their pokemon."

Alyssa once again found herself being praised by a trainer she admired immensely, and this made her feel fantastic. Seeing someone so close to her age having accomplished so much already made her truly believe that she could do the same. Ash may not have known it, but a lot of trainers took his victory as a sign that anyone, no matter where you came from or how old you were, could win the big one.

And not only that, but Alyssa would've been lying if she said that she didn't find Ash to be _very_ attractive. This also helped make his praise mean that much more to her

At this time, the group all fell into what was just a momentarily silence before Norman spoke up once again.

"I better go to the pokemon center and heal my pokemon. I have one more challenger today and then we're gonna have our battle, Ash." Norman told the people in front of him, his gaze falling on Ash as he spoke.

Ash let a smile cross his face, very much excited for their upcoming battle. "I look forward to it, Norman."

While the two men were having this exchange, Alyssa became excited at what she'd just found out.

"You two are gonna battle today!?" Alyssa asked, her voice overflowing with enthusiasm. Upon seeing both Ash and Norman nod, her smile grew even wider before she put on pleading eyes. "Would it be okay if I...watched?"

Ash simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders in response. "I have no problem with it, but it is your gym, Norman. You have final say."

"Sure. You've proved yourself to be a worthy challenger and a good person. You're more than welcome to watch our battle." Norman told the brunette, who's face lit up at the news. She was obviously very happy at the chance to see this battle.

May couldn't help but love this girl's bubbly personality. Even though obviously her biggest interest was battling which she wasn't necessarily into, May still thought that she could see herself becoming friends with this girl.

"It's gonna be so cool to see you battle in person! And against a gym leader no less! I really hope you win, Ash!" Alyssa made her allegiance known causing Ash to thank her for her support. This also served to annoy Max slightly.

Max huffed and crossed his arms over his chest before responding. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no way Ash is going to beat my dad. He's the best trainer in the world!"

Alyssa raised an eyebrow at the boy's words. Didn't he know what Ash had accomplished? Sure his father was clearly a powerful trainer, but she had full faith that Ash would beat Norman.

Alyssa decided not to respond as she didn't see the point in starting something or angering the young man. Instead, May responded for her, though not verbally. Max was greeted with a hard smack to the back of his head from his sister, causing him to rub where he'd been hit with his hand.

Everyone simply chuckled the moment off as no one thought it was something worth getting into an argument over.

"I should go to the Pokemon Center as well. I need to heal Milotic and my other pokemon." Alyssa stated.

"Why don't we come with you?" Ash suggested, earning everyone's gazes. "I'd actually like to have my team looked over before we have our battle as well, just to be sure everything is okay with them."

"Yeah, and I'd like to talk to you some more. You seem like a really cool person." May said happily and sincerely, earning a smile from Alyssa in response.

Now that May'd had a taste of what true friendship felt like, she was eager to make even more friends, and she was fairly confident that Alyssa be another one of those people she could became pals with.

"That'd be great! And you seem really cool too, May!" Alyssa responded, equally as sincere.

Norman then began walking toward the front exit of the gym. "Well, let's get going. My next challenger is gonna be here in about an hour, and I don't want to waste any time."

With that said, everyone present followed Norman out the door. Pikachu had returned to his perch on Ash shoulder while May had returned Torchic to her pokeball per her request.

The Pokemon Center was fairly close to the gym, and the walk to it would take less than five minutes. Max, Ash and Norman were walking ahead of the girls, talking to each other about battling an other things of the sort.

While they were doing this, May and Alyssa were chatting with each other, walking a few meters behind the male trio. As May had suspected, the herself and Alyssa had gotten along great. Even though May didn't share her love for battling, they did have quite a few things in common such as their love for shopping, amongst other things.

The walk felt extremely short to the group as they were all lost in their individual conversations. Norman led the charge tot he front desk of the Pokemon Center, greeting Nurse Joy happily as he did so.

"Hello, Norman. Here to heal your pokemon again I presume?" Nurse Joy questioned knowingly. Obviously with him being a gym leader and battling so much, Norman often found himself in this exact situation, so himself and Nurse Joy knew each other pretty well.

Norman nodded his head in response. "Yeah, you know me. And please make extra sure that they're feeling 100 percent again. This one really gave me a run for my money."

Norman motioned with his thumb toward Alyssa, who smiled at the praise.

"Don't worry. I always make sure the pokemon leave this place feeling good as new!" Nurse Joy responded brightly. She then turned her gaze toward Alyssa, as since she'd obviously battled Norman, she most likely wanted her pokemon healed as well. "Would you like me to heal your pokemon as well?"

Alyssa nodded happily and reached for her pokeballs. "Yes please. They definitely need to be healed after that battle."

It was at this moment that Ash stepped up to the counter. He'd ben there earlier in the morning to have the pokemon he was going to use in his battle transferred to him, so he'd already met the young nurse.

"Hey, Nurse Joy. Would you mind taking a look at my pokemon as well? They haven't battled and should be fine, but I have a big match coming up against Norman here and I want to make sure that they're in tip top shape." Ash informed the pink haired nurse

Nurse Joy, as expected, was happy to comply with the request. "Of course, Ash. Just hand over your pokeballs and I'll take at look at them along with the others. Do you want me to take Pikachu too?"

"Yes please. I need to have all of my options open to keep Norman on his toes. Thank you, Nurse Joy." Ash expressed his gratitude to the woman before him and the others made their way over to a table to sit and wait for their pokemon to be healed.

Methods of healing had come a long way over the years; it wouldn't take very long at all for all of their pokemon to be healed completely. The group of people simply spent the time talking to each other about random things.

One thing that was nice was that Alyssa no longer just seemed like a fan of Ash's. Instead, it was clear to see that she'd become a friend of both his and May's. In Ash's opinion, this was much better.

"So Ash, I assume you're here to competing in the Hoenn League, right?" Alyssa asked, earning a nod from Ash. "So you must already have 4 badges if you're gonna be facing Norman."

"Actually, I haven't started my journey here yet. My battle with Norman is simply an exhibition match, there's no badge on the line." Ash explained to the woman.

"That makes sense. I did get started collecting badges earlier than most other trainers. I just really didn't want to risk not getting all the badges I need in time for the league, even if it isn't for a long while." Alyssa revealed to the group.

"Hey, maybe you two will face each other in the league!" Max stated, excited at the prospect.

Upon hearing this, both Ash and Alyssa smiled, also liking the idea of this.

"Well if that happens, I'll be sure to take it easy on you, Alyssa." Ash spoke confidently. Alyssa laughed in response, knowing that he was just joking around.

However, she then shot a confident smirk Ash's way and crossed her arms over her chest. "Please. You may have won in Kanto, but this is the Hoenn region! It's a completely different ballgame over here! I think I'm the one that should be going easy on you!"

The two held a competitive gaze for a few moments before everyone burst out in laughter. These were always the best moments: when everyone was able to simply joke around and have fun with each other.

At this time, they heard their names called over the loud speaker, indicating that their pokemon were ready to be picked up. The gang walked up to the counter and received their pokemon, thanking the nurse for healing them.

With that completed, they all turned to leave, with Nurse Joy waving goodbye. "Have a nice day!"

Everyone looked back and shot the pink haired nurse a smile and a wave before exiting the Pokemon Center. And while they'd exited the building, they all stopped when they noticed Alyssa not walking with them past the very front of the Pokemon Center's doors.

Seeing her new friends looking at her in confusion, Alyssa addressed them. "I'm staying here at the pokemon center for the night. And I don't want to intrude on you all for the rest of the day until the battle. If you could just let me know what time the match is going to be at, I'd really appreciate it."

Everyone immediately understood why the young woman had stopped in front of the center. That being said, they weren't going to let this be.

"Please, you wouldn't be intruding on us. It seems you, May and Ash all get along well. If you'd like, you could come back to our house and hang out there until the battle." Norman offered.

"Yeah, you can even have dinner with us. The battle will be just after that." May added.

Alyssa was extremely grateful for what she was being offered, but still felt the need to decline. "Oh, I couldn't possibly. I would hate to be rude..."

"I know I'm not exactly part of the Maple family but as Norman said, you wouldn't be intruding or being rude at all. You're our friend now Alyssa, so why don't you come hang out with us for a while?" Ash said to the woman.

This final piece of reassurance was all Alyssa needed to accept the offer with glee. "Okay, I would love to hang out with you guys for the day. Thank you so much for having me!"

Alyssa was elated at the news that she would be able to hang out with May and Ash for at least a while longer. Obviously, she was very happy about getting the chance to be friends and spend time with Ash, a person who' she admired greatly as a trainer, but she was also very happy that she would get to spend tim with her newest friend May, whom she had a good deal in common with.

"Alright then. Let's get back to the gym." Norman commanded, leading the charge back toward his home and place of work.

Incidentally, the 5 people ended up walking in similar positions to how they'd been on the way to the center, with May and Alyssa lagging behind the three men by a semi-large margin.

The two had yet to say a word to each other as they took their first steps away from the Pokemon Center. May quickly glanced at Alyssa, instantly taking note of her gaze and facial expression. May then followed her line of sight, which fell directly on Ash.

Alyssa had a small smile plastered on her face and her cheeks were slightly red as the two continued walking. May immediately had an idea as to what Alyssa was thinking, and she wasn't exactly happy about it. But before she could say anything, her fellow brunette spoke first.

"Hey, sorry if this is a weird question, but is Ash...you know...single?" Alyssa questioned, her face hopeful. Despite addressing May, she still hadn't taken her eyes of of the raven haired trainer walking ahead of them.

Alyssa's words confirmed May's suspicions, and also served to fill her to the brim with jealousy. She knew she shouldn't be mad as her and Ash weren't even together, but she just couldn't help it.

"Don't even think about it!" May snapped, more bitterly than she'd intended.

Upon hearing her words, Alyssa looked at her new friend and backpedaled. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I had no idea you two were together."

As if she'd just flipped a switch, May's expression turned from one of anger to one of immense timidness. Her face quickly became red and her gaze fell to the ground.

"Oh, he's not...we're not... together." May told Alyssa weakly.

Alyssa was confused at first. If they weren't together, then why did she get so mad at her for showing an interest in Ash? Then suddenly, it hit her. As she realized what the situation was, a smirk overcame her features as she looked at May, who still appeared to be quite embarrassed.

"Oh, I get it. You like him, but he doesn't know. Am I reading this correctly?" Alyssa asked rhetorically, fairly certain that this was the case.

May, knowing that there was no use in denying it after what'd just happened, sighed deeply before forcing herself to regain composer and look at Alyssa as they continued walking. Luckily, the two girls were far enough away from the men that their conversation would not be heard by them.

"Yeah, you hit the nail on the head... I'm really sorry I snapped at you like that. I've just never felt this way before and it's got my emotions going all over the place." May apologized sincerely, which Alyssa appreciated even despite the fact that she didn't think it necessary.

"It's alright, May. If I had feelings for a guy and someone asked what I did, I would've been jealous too." Alyssa reassured her fellow brunette and put an arm over her shoulder for a moment. "But can you really blame me for asking? I mean, look at him. He's incredibly hot."

May couldn't help but giggle at her newest friend's comment as she nodded her head in agreement. Though after a few moments, May's face became level once again.

"I guess I can't. But it's so much more than that for me. It's way more than just his looks..." May mentioned dreamily as she thought about all the things that lead to her developing feelings for Ash.

Alyssa softened her smile at May's words, realizing by her tone of voice just how deep her feelings for Ash were.

"Well, you two seem great together. How long have you known each other?" Alyssa questioned. By their interactions she'd witnessed over the past 30 minutes or so, she would've guessed that they'd known each other for many years.

"Believe it or not, we only met about two and a half weeks ago, give or take a day or two." May informed Alyssa, who's eyes bulged at the news. This caused May to laugh, knowing that it would seem to everyone that herself and Ash had known each other for much longer than that.

"Are you serious?" Alyssa asked incredulously, not certain that she'd heard her new friend correctly. Seeing her nod in response, Alyssa continued, still near unbelieving. "Wow...From seeing the way you two interact with each other, I would've guessed you were like, childhood friends or something."

May couldn't help but laugh once again. "Trust me, I know. Me and Ash just really connected when we first met. And as we've spent more time together, we've become best friends already. I don't know how or why this happened, but I'm more than glad that it did."

Alyssa smiled knowingly at May as they continued walking. "There's a good story behind this, I can tell..."

May smiled at her friend's intuitiveness before responding. "Well, you're right about that. But I'll tell you about it later, we're almost back at the gym."

Alyssa was slightly disappointed in the fact that she'd have to wait to hear the story behind Ash and May's first meeting, but if May didn't want to tell her at the moment, then she'd respect that. That being said, she definitely wouldn't forget to bring it up later.

It wasn't much longer before everyone entered the house, with Alyssa complimenting the interior design and size of the place. She didn't get the full tour as they didn't really feel a need to show her the upstairs, but she was able to see all of the things that the first floor had to offer.

A few minutes after Norman had left to meet his next challenger, Caroline came back down the stairs, appearing well rested. She was greeted by Ash, May and a new face, Alyssa, whom she was introduced to immediately.

It wasn't much longer after this that Brock came down and was introduced to Alyssa as well.

They still had a few hours until dinner and the subsequent battle, which gave them a lot of time to simply hang out and chat. They talked about everything under the sun, from pokemon, to their hopes and dreams.

Though because she feared one of her parents overhearing their conversation, May thought it best to tell Alyssa that her dream was to be a trainer and that she would be entering the Hoenn League rather than the truth. As she was now much more certain that what she was planning on doing was right, she would've had no problem telling Alyssa her true goal. But again, the fear of her parents finding out indirectly from overhearing them forced her to decide it was best to tell her the lie she'd become much too good at telling.

This thought just served to remind May that tonight was when she would finally tell her parents of her true dream. To say she was nervous would've been an understatement, but she knew she would get through it, especially since she had Ash by her side. Though, she decided she'd have plenty of time to think about this later in the day and pushed the stressful thoughts out of her mind for the time being.

The four people got along swimmingly, with even Pikachu and Torchic enjoying the new company. Though, this was to be expected. It was well known that Ash had an infectious personality, and Brock was simply a nice guy who was fun to talk to. And as it turned out, May was similar to Ash in the way that her personality could be considered infectious as well.

Because she'd never really had a chance to make friends with anyone before Ash came along, May was never given the opportunity to really let loose and be herself. And now that she was able to do so, she was feeling happier than ever. Having friends she knew she could count on was truly the best thing in the world, and May couldn't help but mentally thank Ash once again for being her first real friend in a very long time and opening her up again.

At one point, Ash broke away from the group, informing them of his promise to Max that he would look at the strategies that he'd drawn up from his battle against Lorelei.

May found Ash taking the time to do this for her brother to be incredibly sweet, knowing just how much it would mean to him. Despite how they treated each other, May and Max truly did love each other.

Ash returned about 45 minutes later, with a positively beaming Max by his side. Ash informed them of how Max was incredibly knowledgable and had drawn up some good strategies should he ever face Lorelei again, which he planned on doing at some point when he would re-challenge the Indigo League in the future. Max then returned to his room as Ash sat down an rejoined the conversation.

May thanked Ash for doing what he did for her brother, only to be waved off by the man. He informed her that he wasn't kidding when he said that Max had provided good strategies; he truly did. May, Brock and Alyssa all admired Ash's willingness to take the time just to make the boy's day.

The time seemed to fly by for the group of friends as before they knew it, They were being called in for dinner. They all entered the kitchen and Ash made his way to the pantry so that he could grab the pokemon food and feed the pokemon as he'd promised Norman he would do for the remainder of his stay.

Both May and Alyssa came along, with May carrying food for both Pikachu and Torchic. Alyssa was incredibly impressed with Ash's strength, just as everyone else had been the day before. It was clear to see that Ash was in very good physical shape.

While this was going on, Brock approached Caroline, hoping to apologize. He'd actually planned on helping with dinner again, but he was just so distracted with having fun with his friends that he'd lost track of time.

"I'm sorry, Caroline. I know I said I was going to help cook again, but I just lost track of time." Brock apologized for inadvertently going back on his word.

Caroline simply smiled in response and waved off the apology, believing that it wasn't necessary. "It's fine Brock. Really. I came to get you earlier, but you all just looked like you were having such a good time and I didn't want to tear you away from that."

Brock smiled and nodded his head in appreciation for allowing him to spend time with his friends. Despite his love for cooking, hanging out with his closest friends would always win out in the end.

Brock then walked himself to the table and took his seat, which everyone else had already done as Ash, May and Alyssa had returned from the greenhouse. It wasn't 15 seconds later that Caroline brought the various foods to the table one item at a time. After a few trips, all of the food was succesully placed on the table.

"This all looks wonderful, honey." Norman complimented his wife, who leaned over and kissed him quickly in response.

"You're telling me..." Ash added, his eyes wide. Everyone that knew of his eating habits could tell that he was now entering a certain 'mode'. And although she didn't say anything, May had the exact same expression on her face.

It was at this moment that Brock remembered that Alyssa had no idea what she was about to see. Brock met the young woman's gaze and smirked before addressing her.

"I'd prepare yourself, Alyssa. You're in for quite the show." Brock spoke cryptically, causing Alyssa to cock her head in confusion. When Brock spoke, everyone else realized what he was referring to and held off on grabbing food f their own so that they would be able to see Alyssa's reaction to Ash and May's eating habits.

And Ash and May did not disappoint. Just moments after Brock finished speaking, both Ash and May hurriedly grabbed copious amounts of every kind of food on the table and began shoveling it into their mouths. Both Ash and May were very hungry, which wasn't really saying much considering these two always seemed to be as such.

As expected, Alyssa was beyond shocked at what she was seeing. Her astonished expression made the others at the table laugh, finding her reaction to be hilarious.

Brock was sitting closest to Alyssa, so he opted to put a hand on her shoulder and address her. "Don't worry, we all had that reaction the first time we saw them eat. You get used to it."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Alyssa responded, her eyes never leaving Ash and May. Her statement caused everyone to laugh once again.

At this time, everyone else began grabbing food of their own. They all found themselves glad that Caroline had made so much food as they'd been slightly afraid that Ash and May would eat it all before they could even get a bite.

As everyone else scooped their food onto their plates, Ash and May began to slow down, having already eating an insane amount of food. Now that they had satisfied at least some of their hunger, they would be able to take the rest of dinner slow and engage in conversation.

Despite the fact that she'd mostly gotten over her shock, her face still slightly expressed surprise at what she'd just seen, causing Ash and May to chuckle in embarrassment when they noticed it.

"Do you eat like that everyday?" Alyssa asked incredulously, still in disbelief that anyone could eat that much food as fast as they did.

"Well, I'm normally better at controlling myself. I was just really hungry today for some reason. Besides, I need all the energy I can get for my battle!" Ash defended his eating habits.

"Yeah, I'm usually better than this too. But like Ash said, I was just really hungry." May added.

As his sister finished speaking Max leaned toward Alyssa and put a hand in front of his mouth as if he was going to tell her a secret. Despite this, he spoke at a normal volume.

"Don't let them fool you. It's always like this." Max told the girl, causing everyone to laugh and May to flick him in the forehead.

"How do you guys stay in such great shape when you eat so much food?" Alyssa questioned once the laughter died down, genuinely curious.

Before Ash could respond, May spoke up for the both of them.

"I work out a bit. You know running, some weight lifting here and there. And it helps that I just happen to have a fast metabolism. But Ash here...he's a different story." May motioned toward Ash with her thumb. "This guy trains like nothing I've ever seen before. He gets up at the crack of dawn everyday and works out harder and longer than anyone else I've ever seen. I've never seen anyone as well conditioned as Ash is."

Ash rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly at May's words as Alyssa looked at him in amazement.

Ash then recovered and decided to add a bit more. "I like to train alongside my pokemon. I've found that when your pokemon see you working hard, it motivates them to do the same. And I suppose I do train harder than most people, but that's what I need to do if I want to be the best."

Alyssa was amazed at Ash's level of dedication to not only training his pokemon, but training himself as well. This was something that Alyssa herself took pride in, as evident by her toned, yet still femininely soft body. Though, she'd never considered actually training _with_ her pokemon.

"Hmm, I've never thought about training with my pokemon, but that sounds like a great method! And obviously, it works _very_ well for you. I think I'm going to give that a try!" Alyssa told to the people at the table.

Ash smiled and nodded his head in encouragement. "I'd definitely recommend it. It's a great way to train not only your pokemon, but yourself as well."

"I do think I'm gonna pass on the whole 'crack of dawn' thing, though." Alyssa spoke teasingly, despite meaning what she was saying. Her words caused the whole table to laugh and Ash to say that this was understandable.

Once the laughter had died down, the table fell into a few moments of comfortable silence. During this time, Alyssa remembered what herself and May had talked about on their way back from the Pokemon Center. She was very curious as to the story behind Ash and May's meeting as for some odd reason, she had a feeling that it was an excellent story.

"So May, you said that you and Ash met just a couple of weeks ago, right?" Alyssa questioned before May nodded her head in response. Alyssa then clasped her hands together and pouted, beginning to plead with May to tell her the story.

"And you also said that there was a good story behind you're first meeting. Would you please tell it?"

* * *

 **A/N: And there's chapter 16! A new character is introduced in Alyssa who, mild spoiler (not really since you probably could've guessed that), will end up being a rival to Ash later on in the league! I added an OC here because I thought that the Advance series really lacked a _good_ rival for the league. I know they had Morrison an Tyson, but I wanted another, more serious threat than Morrison's dumb self and Tyson's Puss in Boots lol. Anyway, please follow, favorite and leave a review! See ya!**


	17. Battle

How to Change a Life

May had no problem telling the story now that all of the negative moments that they'd went through were in the past. Even though she knew that telling certain parts of the story would surely be difficult for her, she still found herself wanting to tell the story; it was one of the the most important things that'd ever happened to her after all. She actually found herself wanting to everyone she could this story just so they could know what Ash had done for her. It was such an incredible thing that he'd done, that he'd given for her, and May would've had no problem sharing it with the world.

Although May was comfortable telling the story, she wanted to make sure that Ash was as well. After all, he was the one who had to go through most of the hardships that would be recounted in the tale. She just wanted to be sure that bringing up these events again wouldn't effect Ash negatively, even though she found this to be unlikely given how much they've joked about it and come to terms with it since.

She shot Ash a quick glance that wordlessly asked the question on her mind. Seeing him nod his head, having recognized what she was saying, May smiled and turned back to address Alyssa.

"Okay, this is a pretty long story, so buckle in. And excuse me if I get emotional at some parts." May told her fellow brunette.

Hearing May say this made Alyssa's desire to hear the story grow tenfold. She eagerly awaited May to begin speaking.

And so, May told the story, remembering every detail, no matter how small, as her memory of the events that'd transpired would be etched into her mind forever. She recounted everything, save for the part where she'd told Ash about her true dream; instead, she simply said that Ash had helped her see that she was moving in the right direction with her life.

While May could do her best to explain the connection herself and Ash had felt in their first meeting, the people listening would never truly understand just how deep, just how pure, that connection was. It was simply something that couldn't be articulated. It was something you had to _feel,_ which is why Ash and May would be the only ones that would ever truly know the extent of what they'd felt when they first come together That being said, it was still easy for the others to see that they'd connected, even if they didn't get the whole meaning.

While May spoke about the event on the cliff, Alyssa was quite literally on the edge of her seat. She couldn't believe the amount of bravery Ash had shown by going after May, especially when he knew how weak the rope was. And when she was told that Ash had fallen, she audibly gasped and looked at Ash in shock.

May then went on to tell her all about their time at the hospital, leaving out some of the more unimportant and personal moments such as her walk with Delia and her late night talk with Brock.

May started to have a hard time controlling her emotions when she got to the final day of the first week in the hospital. She tried her best to tell this part of the story, to say the 'd' word, but she just couldn't bring herself to. Tears were welling up in her eyes, but she forced them not to fall. Ash, who was sitting next to her, put a comforting hand on her shoulder as Brock took over and told this section of the story in her stead.

To say that Alyssa was surprised would've been an understatement. Ash had literally died. He knew the rope was likely to snap. He'd died because he was willing to do so in order to have a chance to save May, only to come back to life for seemingly no reason. Alyssa stared at Ash for the majority of the story, amazed by what'd happened, what he'd done.

Ash was slightly uncomfortable with being stared at like he was, but simply let it be, knowing that this would probably be considered a normal reaction to what was being said.

May managed to compose herself fairly quickly after Brock had moved past this section, now able to tell the rest of the story. She was noticeably happier talking about the times they had in the hospital when Ash was awake and out of immediate danger. It wasn't long after this that May wrapped up the story.

"And that's what happened. Without a doubt, this has been the craziest two weeks of my life. But also the best." May spoke happily, so incredibly glad that things had turned out well for everyone.

Alyssa was still trying to process everything she'd just been told. While she suspected there was a story behind May's first encounter with Ash, she was not expecting anything like this. The story was incredible, easily one of the most intense and amazing that she'd ever heard. She was immensely glad that she'd asked May to tell it to her.

"Wow...what can you even say to that? That's all so...incredible. I can't believe you went through all that." Alyssa then turned her gaze toward Ash once again. "And you! You died trying to save May! And you literally beat death! That's so cool!"

Alyssa felt an even higher level of respect for Ash after hearing this story, and that was saying something considering how highly she thought of him to begin with. As the majority of his deeds were never shared with the media, not many knew of what the raven haired trainer had done in his life. That being said, he was still widely known to be a very good person, and this proved that and then some; a few of his escapades had made the news, but nothing all that major as of yet.

Everyone laughed at Alyssa's words as it welcomingly trivialized what Ash had gone through.

"Yeah, like I said to May when I first woke up. I'm not gonna let something silly thing like falling off some little cliff be the thing that takes me out." Ash said cockily, causing another round of laughter.

After Ash finished speaking, another thought popped into Alyssa's head. She couldn't help but romanticize the entirety of the story, her girly side showing through.

Alyssa brought both of her hands to her face as she allowed a dreamy smile to overtake her features. "It's like Ash sacrificed himself for you, May. He's like, your savior, your shining knight, your guardian... That's so romantic!"

Everyone had very different reactions to Alyssa's words. May immediately blushed a deep shade of scarlet, incredibly embarrassed. Caroline and Brock were chuckling to themselves, knowing just how right Alyssa was. Norman simply ignored the comment, being slightly dense himself.

Ash and Max on the other hand, appeared completely clueless. It seemed that they weren't really paying close attention or following what was being said and if they had been, then they were pretending that they hadn't been very well. Seeing their reactions, specifically Ash's, is what allowed May to relax and caused the others to laugh at their apparent obliviousness.

Though, Ash did know what Alyssa was talking about and had simply decided to act dense for the moment. The only thing that would come out of acknowledging this would be embarrassment, and that simply wasn't necessary when he could simply try to ignore the comment entirely. After all, this topic always served to scare him and stress him out.

Alyssa had also broken out of her little dream world at some point while all of this was going on and was now laughing as well.

It wasn't too much longer before the laughter died down. By this time, most everyone was finishing up their food. Though before anyone got up to leave the table, May wanted to say one more thing.

May caught Ash's gaze before speaking. "I know I've said it a million times Ash, but thank you so much for saving me. You were willing to sacrifice your life for mine and that makes me so incredibly cared for. I can never repay you for what you did for me that day."

Ash, along with everyone else, smiled warmly at May's words. Ash thought for a moment on how to respond before what he thought were the perfect words entered his mind.

"Just continue being my best friend. That's all the payment I'll ever need." Ash spoke warmly, causing May to smile brightly, filling up with an immense amount of joy.

As the two shared a moment, Max motioned his finger down his throat in a joking manner and made a gagging sound at the, in his opinion, overly sweet moment.

This caused everyone but May to laugh, who for the second time that day whacked Max on the back of the head. Max was looking for his parents to scold May for what she'd done, but it quickly became clear that they weren't on his side on this one. Though, he could understand why. He was 14, and he knew when people were having a 'moment', so to speak. He just couldn't pass up a chance to mess with his sister.

With nothing else to say and no food left on the table, everyone stood from the table. But before Caroline and May could start clearing it, they were stopped by the sound of Norman's voice.

"Hold on! We're gonna take care of the dishes tonight." Norman stated as he grabbed his wife's plate.

"But you and Ash have a battle." May reminded her father and her best friend.

Ash smiled in response while he grabbed May's plate and stacked it on top of his own. "And that's why were going to do the dishes. Norman told us earlier that he would have the gym ready for our battle before dinner, so we don't have to worry about that."

Brock collected Alyssa's plate, along with his own as the three men brought the dishes to the sink and got to work. Max had lucked out as four people was simply too many to effectively do what needed to be done.

"That's so sweet of you, honey. Thank you." Caroline went up to her husband and gave him a kiss on the cheek as he scrubbed his plate.

"I wish I could take the credit here, but this was all Ash's idea." Norman revealed to the woman and Max.

Everyone was surprised to hear that Ash was the one who'd suggested this. Then again, they were surprised when they thought Norman had suggested this as well.

Ash glanced over at May and Caroline, noticing that an explanation would surely help them get over their surprise; Alyssa was simply watching the scene with interest. Ash chuckled for just a moment before addressing the two women.

Ash looked specifically at Caroline before he began. "May and Norman have told me how hard you work around here. I saw that first hand earlier today. And especially since my mom is a single parent, I know just how hard mothers work everyday. I just thought that it would be nice to give you and May a break for a night. You know, kind of as another thank you for allowing Brock and I to stay here."

Ash finished speaking as he handed another washed dish to Brock to be dried.

"That's so kind of you, Ash. Your mom raised you well. Thank you very much. And you really don't have to thank us in any way. You and Brock are always welcome here, you know that." Caroline reminded the man, who nodded in response.

May simply smiled at the scene. This act once again served to prove the type of person Ash was. She'd truly never met anyone like him, and she was glad for that fact. His pure heart and kind nature were two of the things she adored about him the most.

Alyssa was also impressed by the kind act. Obviously having just met the man today, she'd only had a few inklings as to what kind of person Ash was. Though what she knew about him from TV, and what she'd seen and heard today, she knew that he was truly a good person.

She could clearly see why May had a crush on him. As she'd brought up before, Alyssa was incredibly attracted to him as well, despite the fact that she would never betray May by acting on this attraction; even before she'd met him, she'd found him to be extremely cute, like a good number of other girls throughout the globe.

While the three men were busy at work cleaning the dishes, the girls had taken seats at the freshly cleaned kitchen table, courtesy of Brock. May took this time to properly introduce Alyssa to Torchic, who was happy to meet a new friend.

Alyssa also used this time to pet Pikachu, complimenting him on his strength and speed all the while. To say that Pikachu was enjoying this would've been a massive understatement. Ash jokingly told Alyssa not to give Pikachu a big head as his ego was large enough as is, which earned him a hard glare from his first pokemon, causing everyone to laugh.

About 15 minutes later, everything was cleaned and put away, which meant it was now time for the battle. Ash was bursting with excitement over the upcoming match, his childlike excitement causing the others to feel a large amount positive energy as well. Alyssa especially as she was the same way when she had a battle.

With everything in order, everyone in the house made their way to the gym, which had been closed to the public for the night; the didn't want some random challenger walking in, seeing who was battling, and telling everybody in town to come.

"Hey Brock, would you be willing to act as referee for the battle? I sent our employed ref home since there would be no more 'official' battles today. And having been a Gym Leader, you must know all the rules." Norman requested of the tanned man.

Brock nodded happily, having taken on this role many times in the past for Ash's battles throughout their journey through Kanto. "Sure, Norman. I'd be happy to."

Alyssa, May, Torchic, Caroline and Max all took their seats on the bleachers, all of them, May included, very excited to watch what was sure to be a fantastic battle. All the while, Brock walked over to the referee box and got into position.

Norman took his position on one side of the field as Ash made his way to the challenger's side trainer box. It wasn't long before both men were in position, roaring and ready to go.

"This match is between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Petalburgh City Gym Leader Norman Maple. Trainers, please send out your first pokemon." Brock recited the typical introduction that referee's used.

"You ready for your loss, Ash?" Norman questioned the younger man competitively.

Ash simply smirked in response. "Funny...I was about to ask you the same thing."

The two shared one more smirk before Norman grabbed for a pokeball, revealing his pokemon first as was accustomed for a Gym Leader to do; even this was not an official gym battle, the act of the Gym Leader revealing their pokemon first was simply a force of habit for Norman after having done it for so many years.

"Slaking, come on out!" Norman shouted as he released what many considered to be his most powerful pokemon.

"Whoa, Dad is starting off with Slaking? I've never seen him do that before. He must really mean business." Max commented. Typically, Slaking would be Norman's final pokemon in any battle as he was definitely his strongest, so seeing him come out first was definitely different.

"Dad understands that Ash is a better trainer than a lot of the people he faces on a daily basis. He's not taking him lightly." May added, for the first time she could remember being excited to see a pokemon battle.

"And rightly so. If he underestimates Ash, this battle will been over before it even begins." Alyssa stated, earning a glare from Max. Though, no one noticed this as all eyes were on Ash, waiting to see what pokemon he would use.

"Going with your strongest pokemon first, huh? ...I'm starting to think that you might have an ace up your sleeve, Norman." Ash said to the man, who simply smirked and shrugged his shoulders in response. With that said, Ash reached for one of the three on his belt.

As Ash went to throw the ball, he shouted. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

As the pokemon materialized, everyone could finally take in the starter's appearance. As Bulbasaur was a Kanto pokemon, many of those present didn't recognize it immediately. The only exceptions were Norman and Max, who had much more knowledge on pokemon from all regions than most.

For May, Caroline and Alyssa however, they were left wondering about the pokemon. Though at that moment, May remembered something that Professor Birch had given her during the second week in the hospital. Rummaging around in her fanny pack, May eventually found the Hoenn-styled pokedex she'd been given for her journey.

May mimicked what Ash had done earlier in the day to identify Milotic and successfully scanned Bulbasaur. When the automated voice of the pokedex began speaking, those around May listened in as well. They all listened intently to what was being told to them about Bulbasaur, soaking in the information as best they could.

The main take aways were that Bulbasaur was one of the three Kanto starters, it was a grass/poison type, and was at the base level of its species' evolutionary line.

Slaking stared laughing as he looked at the pokemon across from him. All he could see was a small pokemon that had no chance against him. He very much thought that this was going to be an easy battle.

Norman noticed his pokemon's cockiness and was not happy about it. He'd seen Ash's Bulbasaur perform in the Indigo League, beating pokemon much bigger than himself on multiple occasions. Norman knew that this Bulbasaur was not one to be taken lightly. Just because Bulbasaur hadn't evolved didn't mean he wasn't incredibly strong.

"Slaking, don't underestimate that Bulbasaur." Norman warned his pokemon, who simply scoffed at the suggestion. He simply refused to believe that this pokemon would be any sort of challenge to him.

Upon seeing his opponent laughing at him, Bulbasaur's eyes narrowed in anger. This wasn't the first time he'd been underestimated, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, but it still infuriated him every time. He was a strong pokemon, and anyone who'd seen him battle knew that, but those who'd never seen this particular Bulbasaur in action often times underestimated him.

Sensing his pokemon's frustration, Ash tried to ease Bulbasaur, not wanting him to make a mistake by acting out of anger.

"Relax, Bulbasaur. We're gonna prove just how strong you are. And we're gonna make him pay for underestimating you."

Bulbasaur looked back at his trainer and nodded his head. Ash returned this motion with a nod of his own as the two refocused on the battle.

"Why don't you make the first move, Ash." Norman offered.

"Big mistake, Norman." Ash started before quickly devising a plan in his head. "Bulbasaur, start out with Tackle!"

Upon Ash's command, Bulbasaur began charging forward at a good pace. And while Ash's Bulbasaur was faster than most, the species wasn't exactly known for their speed. This led to Slaking easily dodging the move.

"Try Vine Whip!" Ash commanded.

Vines sprung from the bulb on the pokemon's back as they tried to hit Slaking. Though much like the Tackle, Slaking easily avoided them.

Although the ape-like Pokemon easily dodged the attack, even without command, he didn't go for a counter attack. Instead, he simply began laughing once again as Bulbasaur made his way back over to Ash.

Norman was studying the scene carefully, wondering why Ash had chosen such a weak move to begin with. And he couldn't help but think that Vine Whip attack was significantly slower than average. What confused him even more is that neither Ash nor Bulbasaur seemed the slightest bit concerned about their failed attempt. Instead, their faces remained stoic as they surveyed the field.

Those in the stands were also confused by Ash's strategy. Both Alyssa and Max were surprised that Ash hadn't started out with something more devastating as he had proved he was capable of doing during the Indigo League.

And despite not knowing much about pokemon battling, May couldn't help but feel like this was not how Ash typically battled. With her limited knowledge of the subject, she began searching her mind for a reason Ash may be altering his strategy for this particular battle.

And surprisingly, it didn't take long for her to figure it out.

"Ohhhh." May let out audibly, earning questioning glances from those sitting around her. It was clear by her outburst that she'd figured something out, and they were curious as to what.

Both Ash and Norman had also heard May. Norman didn't pay much mind to it, but Ash glanced over at the brunette for a moment and winked at her. He wasn't sure why, but he had a pretty good feeling that May had figured out what he was doing.

"Okay, if you're not gonna attack, then I will. Slakoth, get in close and use Hammer Arm!" Norman told his pokemon after the momentary break in action. Slaking still wasn't taking the battle very seriously, even despite his trainer's warning, and that showed in his approach.

quicklyHe moved toward Bulbasaur, but not as fast as he would normally move in this situation. He noticed Bulbasaur wasn't moving, which caused his confidence to rise even higher. He brought his arm back to charge up the move as he continued charging.

Slaking then threw his arm down, thinking he'd easily hit the grass/poison type and maybe even end the battle right here. That's why he was so surprised when his arm hit nothing but air before slamming hard into the ground.

Before Slaking could even think about what'd happened, Ash yelled to his pokemon. "Vine Whip!"

Bulbasaur executed his commend to perfection. The same vines from before shot out from the bulb on his back, though much faster than before. The two vines then proceeded to wrap around Slaking's legs before pulling them out from under him, causing him to fall on his face.

"Slaking, get up!" Norman screamed to his pokemon, who was dazed by what was happening to him.

Ash didn't waste this opening as he continued his attack. "Razor Leaf!"

Dozens upon dozens of sharp edged leaves were shot from Bulbasaur toward the downed ape pokemon, each of them impacting him in a different spot.

Slaking grunted in pain as the leaves did their damage before they finally stopped. Although he was in pain, he noticed that there was a break in the onslaught of attacks coming his was, so Slaking took this chance to regain his footing and regroup in front of Norman.

Bulbasaur also retreated to Ash, looking very pleased with himself.

May, Alyssa, and even Caroline cheered at Ash's successful play. Max on the other hand, looked very unhappy with the way things were going at the moment, but didn't lose faith in his father.

Norman had his arms crossed over his chest, an impressed look on his face. Ash returned his look with a smirk of his own, knowing that the leader had finally figured out his plan.

"Smart move there, kid. Make Bulbasaur seem weaker than he is. Using Slaking's overconfidence against him. I gotta give it to you, that was an expert play." Norman complimented his opponent, who nodded in appreciation before the gym leader brought his gaze to his pokemon.

"Slaking, you know better than that. I warned you that you shouldn't underestimate that Bulbasaur, and yet you did anyway." Norman lightly scolded his pokemon.

"Sla sla king." Slaking responded sadly.

Norman smiled at his pokemon, knowing he felt badly about what he'd done. "It's alright, Slaking. I just hoped you learned your lesson. Now come on, we've got a battle to win!"

"Slaking!" The ape pokemon roared, looking reinvigorated. Despite this, there was a noticeable amount of damage having been done by the Vine Whip and Razor Leaf, so he was by no means good as new.

The others around May finally figured out what Ash had been doing since the beginning of the battle. Alyssa was very curious as to how May had figured it out so quickly and decided to ask her before the battle resumed.

May smiled knowingly at her fellow brunette before responding. "Like I said, me and Ash have a deep connection."

Satisfied with the answer, Alyssa giggled and turned her attention back to the battle, which was just now resuming.

Slaking had very much learned his lesson and would not be underestimating any of Ash's pokemon ever again. He was in for a fight and he knew that, but he was still confident that he would win.

"Slaking, use feint attack." Norman commanded calmly.

Ash was surprised to find out that Slaking could even learn this move and definitely wasn't prepared for it. Slaking appeared to be more of a head on, brute of a pokemon, so this more shady move shocked him slightly.

Upon Norman's command, Slaking somehow disappeared from sight, reappearing beside Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, move!" Ash yelled, hoping his pokemon would react in time.

Sadly, Slaking was just too quickly with this move and hit Bulbasaur hard, knowing him a few feet away. Bulbasaur had manged to move just slightly as to not take the full brunt of the attack, but he still felt most it.

"Bulbasaur, are you okay?" Ash question, making sure his pokemon would be alright.

"Bulba saur!" Bulbasaur shouted in response, becoming fired up from the battle damage he'd took. Ash saw this as a good sign and searched his mind for his next move.

Norman was very happy with the result of him using one of Slaking's lesser known moves. Feint Attack was known to be very difficult to evade, so he planned on going back to this move quite often in the match now that he'd seen it work so well the first time. That being said, he would still be sure to change things up as to keep Ash and Bulbasaur on their toes.

"Charge in and use Slash!" Norman screamed, with his pokemon reacting immediately to his command.

Bulbasaur readied himself as he awaited his trainer's command. Ash's mind was working in overdrive, as it always would during a battle. His ability to think quickly on his feet was something that surely led to his success as a trainer.

Bulbasaur trusted Ash enough to not make a move until he was told to, even with Slaking getting as close as he was. This was all part of the plan, but it definitely served to worry those in Ash's corner.

At the moment before Slaking was to use Slash, Ash yelled out. "Grab his arm with Vine Whip!"

Bulbasaur did as commanded and grabbed the arm that was abut to slash him with one of his vines, stopping its motion completely. Slaking appeared surprised by what'd occurred. Ash knew he only had a limited amount of time before Slaking would find his way out of this, so he made sure to take advantage.

"Poison Powder, quick!" Ash yelled.

Everyone watched as a purple powder shot form Bulbasaur's bulb and engulfed Norman's ace pokemon. It was clear to see that Slaking was immediately effected by the gaseous powder.

Norman looked on in worry as Slaking became poisoned. Ash had forced him into a corner. Now, it was as if this battle had a time limit as eventually, the poison would surely knock Slaking out entirely. He had to knock Bulbasaur out, and quickly.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Norman's head. "Slaking, use Hammer Arm with your free arm!"

Immediately, Slaking's arm began glowing and quickly came down directly on top of Bulbasaur. The impact to his head made Bulbasaur lose his grip on Slaking's other arm, freeing him from the bind.

It was a solid hit, and Bulbasaur was definitely feeling the effects of it, even despite the fact this fighting type move wasn't considered to be very effective against his typing.

Slaking sprinted back to his trainer's side, trying to hide the pain he was feeling from the poisoning. He still had a good amount of time left before this would knock him out, but the clock was still ticking.

As Bulbasaur was still dazed, Norman called out another attack. "Feint attack, go!"

Again, Slaking disappeared form sight, only to appear right behind Bulbasaur. Even though he was getting over the previous attack, Bulbasaur had no time to get out of the way, even with Ash's command to dodge.

Norman was beginning to feel more confident as his pokemon appeared in front of him once again. He may have been poisoned, but Slaking was definitely fairing better than Bulbasaur was at the moment. And he was also really liking how Feint Attack was working, and he was sure that just a few more of those, maybe paired with another physical attack of some sort, would end this battle.

"You okay, Bulbasaur?" Ash asked worriedly. Bulbasaur was clearly feeling the pain the attacks had left him with, but he nodded his head, ready to go to the ends of the Earth for his trainer.

May was becoming increasingly worried about Ash's chances. She was incredibly invested in this battle, and she wanted Ash to win so badly. But at the moment, she wasn't sure how he was going to go about doing that. She folded her hands over each other and held them in front of her heart as she prayed that Ash would find a way to win this battle.

As Slaking reappeared on Norman's side of the field, Ash mind was running a million miles a minute. He was rapidly going through his options. He could see that Norman was beginning to rely on Feint Attack as it was such a difficult move to evade due to the fact that the user could appear anywhere around the target from out of no where. Slaking was also poisoned, which lent itself to his cause, but he knew he'd have to end this battle before the poison could fully take effect. Otherwise, he was sure Bulbasaur wouldn't make it.

It was at this moment that an idea popped into his head. Ash had always made a point to train his pokemon to use all of their senses to their fullest potential, and he planned to use this to his advantage. Feint Attack made the user look to be disappearing and reappearing right before your eyes, but this was all just an illusion. This was what gave Ash confidence in his plan. Now, all he had to do was wait for Norman to call for Feint Attack again.

Luckily for Ash and unluckily for Norman, the raven haired trainer didn't have to wait long.

"One more Feint Attack. And be ready with Slash after you hit him! End this, now!" Norman commanded.

Slaking was beginning to look noticeably worn as the poison and other damage he'd taken from earlier in the battle was getting to him. Both pokemon and trainer knew that he wouldn't be able to last that much longer, but they were confident that this next combination of moves would end this battle before Slaking would fall.

The group in the stands watched with baited breath. Max was ecstatic while both May and Alyssa were concerned, not sure how Ash could get out of this. May was especially worried, but she knew she had to have faith. She knew Ash well. _Very_ well. And she had a feeling that he might have a plan.

As Norman called out his move, Ash addressed his pokemon calmly. "Bulbasaur close your eyes and use your senses. Focus on Slaking. On his energy. Wrap him up and toss him with Vine Whip when he appears."

Those watching the match were confused with what was happening, but Bulbasaur did what was commanded without hesitation. He remembered his training as he focused all of his senses on Slaking's very essence, his aura.

The ape pokemon had just disappeared from sight and would soon pop up near Bulbasaur to perform what could very well be the final blow. Just before Slaking was to appear, Bulbasaur noticed an energy appear to his left. Knowing this could only be one thing, he shot his vines out once again and grabbed the life form with his eyes still closed.

Bulbasaur then opened his eyes just as he began to lift the heavy Slaking into the air with the immense strength his vines provided. He wasted no time in throwing Slaking halfway across the field, causing him to land hard on his front.

Max's eyes widened in horror as things began looking very bad for his father. May and Alyssa on the other hand, were on the edge of their seats, bursting with hope and excitement.

Ash was not going to waste this opportunity. He was going to end this first battle once and for all.

"Bulbasaur, rapid fire Seed Bomb. Hit 'em with all you got!" Ash yelled, knowing that should this connect, that would be it.

"Bullllbaaaa SAUR!" The small pokemon cried his name as he shot large seeds from the bulb on his back. The just kept coming, raining down on Slaking with each one making solid contact. After six large seeds had connected perfectly, Ash told Bulbasaur to stop, knowing that this should be enough.

Though as Brock was about to raise his flag, Slaking weakly and on shaky legs regained his footing. Ash was immensely surprised that the ape-like pokemon had gotten up from that last onslaught and couldn't bring himself to react. Luckily for him, it seemed that he wouldn't have to...

Slaking locked his droopy eyes with Bulbasaur and nodded his head in respect before falling on his face, unconscious.

"Slaking is unable to battle. The winner of the round is Bulbasaur and Ash Ketchum." Brock spoke loudly, raising the arm closest to Ash, indicating his victory.

"Alright! Way to go Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled happily as Bulbasaur hopped into his arms. The two smiled jovially at their victory.

May and Alyssa yelled out their excitement and happiness at Ash's victory. The battle had been incredible to watch, especially to May, which was really saying something. Caroline didn't yell out in support or boo in frustration, but instead smiled amicably and clapped her hands, staying relatively neutral.

Max on the other hand, looked very upset. As Brock called the result of the first matchup, he huffed and crossed his arms defiantly.

"That was pure luck...Ash just got lucky. It's incredibly obvious that's all it was." Max huffed out loud, hating the idea that anyone, even someone he admired as a trainer, could beat his father's strongest pokemon like this.

May became angry at Max for trying to discount Ash's victory. She was incredibly happy for him and could see first hand how he'd won the Indigo League. Plus, she knew that Max understood perfectly that nothing about Ash's victory was due to luck. It was pure skill, a testament to how hard he trained, and nothing less.

"You know that's not true, Max! Ash is an amazing trainer and your just mad that maybe, just maybe, he's stronger than dad!" May yelled at her brother, infuriating him.

"How dare you say that! He's your dad! You're supposed to be on his side, you traitor! Dad's the best trainer in the world! You're just too busy cheering for your _boyfriend_ to realize that!" Max retorted back, even louder than his sister had been.

While May typically would've been embarrassed by Max's comment, all she felt was at the moment was anger. Max was just being so juvenile with his thinking. Though, she couldn't really say anything as she was partaking in a screaming match at the moment as well which couldn't exactly be considered mature.

The two glared at each other for a few moments before a familiar voice caused them to break it.

"Stop it, you two." The deep voice of Norman commanded. He'd just thanked Slaking and returned him to his pokeball after using an antidote that Ash had provided for him to rid his pokemon of the poisoning. Norman walked out of his trainer box and approached the bleachers were his children were seated. "This is silly. This is such an unnecessary argument."

Norman turned to address May first as he had less to say to her. "May, you're obviously allowed to cheer for Ash. It doesn't hurt my feelings or offend me in any way, shape or form. I know he's your closest friend and you just want to see him succeed. But you have to think about Max's feelings as well when you decide to yell at him."

May calmed herself down and listened closely to her father's words before nodding her head. Norman then turned to face Max, who still appeared frustrated as can be. Then again, he was younger and thus, less mature than May was, even if his intelligence sometimes made people forget that.

"Max, I'm so glad that you look up to me as much as you do and that you think I'm the best trainer in the world, but you have to know that losing is just a part of life. Even if I was the best trainer in the world, I would still lose every once in a while. Everyone loses sometimes, and it's okay. I'm sure Ash has lost his fair share of battles, right?" Norman said before looking at Ash, hoping that he could add to his lesson

Ash nodded his head. "A bunch of them. I lost a lot at the beginning of my journey and will continue to lose every now and again for the rest of my time as trainer. Like your dad said, it's just part of life. And as long as you don't let those losses keep you down, then it's perfectly okay to not come out on top every once in a while."

Norman nodded his head in thanks and agreement before turning back to his son. "And you have to accept that not everyone is going to be on the same side as you all the time. Ash is May's best friend, and she's allowed to support him, just like you're allowed to support me. And you know that Ash didn't win that battle due to luck. He's a skilled trainer, just as I like to think I am, and he simply came out on top in that one. In that particular match, he proved himself to be the better trainer. But there will always another battle, Max. Remember that."

Norman looked his son in the eye for a few moments even after he finished talking, hoping to really ingrain this message into his son's brain. A lot of what he'd said could lend itself to life in general, and not just pokemon battles, meaning this was an extra important lesson for Max to learn.

Max thought about what his dad had said for a few moments. He knew how serious his dad was being about what he'd said by the tone of his voice. It was clear that he found this to be a very important thing for him to learn. Because of that, Max was able to accept it.

After a few moments, Max smiled at his father, who returned it and hugged his son for a moment. Alyssa, Brock, Ash and Caroline watched the tender scene, happy that it'd worked out well.

As the two broke apart, max knew he had some apologizing to do. First. He turned to May.

"May, I'm sorry for calling you a traitor. Dad's right, you're allowed to cheer for whoever you want, especially if that person is your best friend." May appreciated Max's sincere apology and apologized her self for yelling at him.

Max then turned to Ash. "And I'm sorry to you too, Ash. I didn't mean to discredit your victory or insult your talent as a trainer. You're incredibly skilled in the art of battling and are probably one of the best non-elite trainers in the circuit right now. So again, I'm sorry."

Ash, wanting to raise the mood even further, smiled and responded. "Thank you, Max. How could I not accept your apology when your tooting my horn like you are!?"

Ash's words caused everyone to chuckle, glad that everything was now normal once again. As this was taken care of, Norman returned to his side of the field, ready for the second half of the battle.

Seeing that things would now be resuming, Brock returned to his duties as referee.

"Trainers, choose your next pokemon." Brock told the two men.

"I'm very impressed, Ash. You've proven to me that you really are as good as they say. But let's see if you can handle this!" Norman yelled as he tossed his pokeball.

Everyone's eyes widened as the pokemon materialized on the field. Everyone had been expecting Vigoroth, maybe even Slakoth, so the pokemon that they saw before him was a great surprise.

There, standing on Norman's side of the field, was a large Snorlax. The massive pokemon let out a yawn as he covered his mouth with his hand before returning to his original position.

"I didn't know dad had that pokemon..." May said aloud as she scanned it with her pokedex.

"Me neither...How could I not have known that dad had a Snorlax!?" Max was beyond shocked that this was the first time he'd seen this pokemon. Though, he remembered his dad mentioning once or twice that he had a pokemon that he let live elsewhere, but he couldn't remember a time when he'd ever specified what that pokemon was. Thinking back on it, he must've mentioned it at some point, probably when he was simply too young to have remembered it.

Alyssa was in awe, having never seen a pokemon this huge before. As she was almost as big a fan of pokemon as Ash was, she was giddy with excitement at the chance to see a new pokemon. Brock was also surprised by the immensity of the pokemon, even having seen a few Snorlax before, including the one Ash had caught on one of their more recent trips to the Orange Islands. Caroline was simply chuckling at everyone's reactions, having been the only one besides Norman to have known about this pokemon.

Ash eyes the large pokemon in front of him, his face full of awe and wonder. Though, his face quickly morphed into a huge smile at seeing such an awesome, familiar pokemon.

"Remember that ace you thought I might have up my sleeve? Well...meet that ace." Norman spoke jokingly. "Ash, this is Snorlax. One of my oldest and _strongest_ pokemon."

"Whoa...That's so cool! Snorlax are so awesome! I actually have one myself." Ash mentioned the the Gym Leader across from him.

Norman was surprised that Ash also had a Snorlax as it was quite a rare pokemon. Plus, he hadn't seen him use it in the Indigo League.

"If you have a Snorlax, why didn't you use it in the Indigo League?" Norman asked what was on both his, Max's and Alyssa's minds.

"I caught him right before the league began on a training trip we took to the Orange Islands. I didn't have much time to train with her so I decided it would be best that I didn't use her when we hadn't really gotten a chance to bond yet." Ash explained why he'd been hesitant to battle with his Snorlax on such a big stage.

A look of understanding overcame everyone's face as they took in Ash's words. Now that this was cleared up, Max had a question that he just needed to have answered.

"How could I have gone my whole life not knowing that you had a Snorlax!?" Max screamed his question, still not believing that his father had kept such a big secret, no pun intended.

Norman couldn't help but laugh at the question. His son definitely deserved an explanation.

"Well when I was still a traveling trainer, I came across a place in a far off region called Alola that was like a haven of sorts to Snorlax from all over the world. And my Snorlax here met another of his kind while we were there. More specifically, a female. My Snorlax fell in love with her and the rest is history. I was nearing the end of my run as a traveling trainer anyway and I couldn't bring myself to tear Snorlax away from the woman he loved, so I left him at the haven, knowing he'd be safe and happy. I still keep in touch with the people who run the place just to check up on him every once in a while." Norman told his son, as well as the others present in the gym..

"So why is he here now?" Max asked this follow up question.

"Well, I don't do it often, but sometimes when I know I'm going to have a big battle coming up, I'll have the owner of the place transfer him to me so that he can help train my other pokemon as he's semi retired from battling himself. That being said, he's still in great shape and is without a doubt my strongest pokemon. And since I was facing a former league winner today, I thought that I should pull out all the stops." Norman revealed to those present.

Ash was surprised to hear this. "Wow Norman, I'm honored that you think that much of my abilities. I look forward to fighting you, Snorlax!"

"Lax..." Snorlax responded lazily.

Before Ash could even think to send out another pokemon, his Bulbasaur caught his attention. Ash could immediately tell by the look on his pokemon's face that he wanted to stay in the battle. Having trained with Ash's Snorlax before, Bulbasaur knew that he could do something that would prove invaluable to Ash's chances in the match.

It took a few moments, but Ash finally realized what Bulbasaur was thinking. Ash nodded at his pokemon, knowing just how much bravery he was showing by staying in to do what he was going to as he was definitely feeling beat up and tired. Ash would make sure to do something special for him later.

"You sure you want to keep Bulbasaur in?" Norman questioned, wanting to be sure this was what Ash meant to be doing. He was also slightly worried about Bulbasaur's condition, but he knew Ash wasn't the type to risk his pokemon, so he was curious as to what plan he might have.

Ash smirked confidently and responded to the man. "Yes Norman, I am. I appreciate the concern, but we're all good."

Norman simply shrugged as he waited for Brock to make the motion that would officially start the battle. It didn't take long for that to occur as Brock lowered his arms and officially started the match.

Norman was planning on making the first move this time around, hoping things would be different than last time, but Ash beat him to the punch.

"Bulbasaur, use Worry Seed!" Ash commanded. Bulbasaur did as was told as he shot hundreds of small seeds toward Snorlax, all of which were absorbed into his body.

"Worry seed?" May questioned out loud, having no idea what the move did. Alyssa actually didn't know either as it wasn't a very common move.

Luckily for the two brunette's, they had Max, the walking pokemon encyclopedia, sitting next to them.

"Worry Seed changes the target's ability to Insomnia, which means Snorlax can no longer fall sleep. And Snorlax are known to often use Rest in order to regenerate health during battle, so this is a big loss to Snorlax's arsenal." Max explained the move to the to women beside him, a bit worried about the blow that'd been dealt to his father's chances because of this move.

Norman immediately understood why Ash had kept Bulbasaur in to start this battle. This was a big loss to his strategy as one of the biggest things Norman had taught his Snorlax was how to fully utilize Rest and wake up quickly. But now, he wouldn't be able to do that for the entirety of the match.

"Smart move Ash, I'll give you that. Now, I'd kind of like to see what other pokemon you plan on using. Snorlax, Hyper Beam!" Norman commanded. He knew that this incredibly powerful move would knock out Bulbasaur and this would lead to Ash having to take time to change pokemon, which would give Snorlax a chance to recover from using the move.

Though before Snorlax could fire off his attack, Ash screamed. "Wait! I forfeit Bulbasaur from the match!"

"Ash Ketchum has forfeited Bulbasaur, meaning Norman and Snorlax are the winners of this round. Ash, please send out your final pokemon." Brock performed his referee duties to perfection.

"I'm sorry, Norman. I mean no disrespect by this decision. Bulbasaur simply could've been hurt badly should that move have hit. And there was no way Bulbasaur was going to be able to dodge in the condition he's in." Ash explained to the older man, hoping that he hadn't offended him or something of the sort.

"Of course, Ash. Forfeiting Bulbasaur was a very smart and respectable decision. Too many people see forfeiting a pokemon as quitting, but that's not the case in the slightest; I know I do it every once in a while. There's no use in getting your pokemon needlessly hurt." Norman responded to the man before they both shared a nod of the head.

Ash then left the trainer box and walked over to pick up Bulbasaur. What he saw that nobody else did was that his pokemon was standing on slightly shaky legs to begin the match. Had he been hit by that Hyper Beam, which he more than likely would've been due to his fatigue, he could've been seriously injured and he didn't want to risk that when he didn't have to.

Bulbasaur, being a proud pokemon, was slightly frustrated that Ash had forfeited him. Though when he saw the soft look on his trainer's face, he immediately understood why he'd pulled him from the battle. Plus, he knew he was on his last legs. He'd only stayed in the match so that he could get off the Worry Seed attack.

"I'm sorry, Bulbasaur. I just couldn't see you hurt, especially when you didn't have to be. I hope you can forgive me, buddy." Ash apologized to his pokemon, knowing that Bulbasaur had planned on going down swinging.

"Bulba saur." Bulbasaur said softly before licking Ash's face, causing the man to chuckle in happiness.

May, Alyssa and Caroline awed at the sweet moment, appreciating just how much Ash cared for his pokemon and vice versa. Even Max found the moment to be endearing.

While still holding Bulbasaur in one arm, Ash reached for his buddy's pokeball with the other. He then thanked Bulbasaur for his great work and returned him to his ball.

Everyone waited eagerly to see what pokemon Ash would bring out next. He said he wanted to keep everyone on their toes and he was managing to do just that by not allowing anyone to see what pokemon he would be using before the battle.

"Your Snorlax is gonna be a tough opponent. Probably one of the toughest I've battled to date. And because of that, I'm going to have to bring my A game. My first pokemon, against one of yours. May the best man win." Ash finished, his arms crossed over his chest as he stood tall.

As all eyes were on him as he spoke, nobody noticed that Pikachu had walked behind Ash a few feet for some reason. Though just as Ash finished speaking, it became clear what he was doing.

Not unlike when Pikachu had protected himself and Ash from the Spearow on their first day together, Pikachu used the distance he created between himself and his trainer to get a running start. He then made a great leap, momentarily landing on his trainer's shoulder. But he didn't stay there for more than a second, instead using his shoulder as a launching pad to allow him a grand entrance into the battle.

"You're using Pikachu? But I thought you said you wanted to keep the pokemon you were going to be using a surprise." Max was slightly confused, having not been expecting this with what Ash had said.

Ash looked over at the young boy and smirked. "Well, no one was expecting me to use the only pokemon besides Charizard that I'd already revealed to you, so it still is kind of is a surprise. And this also lends itself well to the battle as I'm fairly certain that Norman wasn't expecting this either."

"I'll admit, I was expecting to see your Pidgeot, maybe even your Squirtle given what you were alluding to earlier. But it doesn't matter who you use as you'll find out in just a few moments." Norman finished competitively.

Rather than responding, Ash simply turned his smirk back to Norman and prepared for Brock to start the match. As he motioned for the match to start, Ash took the initiative, hoping to use his pokemon's far superior speed to his advantage.

"Pikachu, use Agility to get in close!" Ash commanded as Pikachu began moving at incredible speeds, impressing those in the stands.

Ash was well aware that Snorlax were well known for their defense, their special defense to be specific, so he was planning on using as many physical type attacks as he could.

"Snorlax, use Rollout!' norman gave out a command of his own.

Upon request, Snorlax slammed himself hard into the ground, engaging the Rollout attack. Pikachu, who was still using Agility, was doing well in avoiding the raised ground as he continued his approach.

Though, one of the waves caused from the Rollout attack caught his left side, causing him not only to take some damage, but also trip up and land hard, skidding a few feet on the ground. He wasn't hurt too badly, but he was stunned by what'd just happened, leaving a perfect opening for Norman.

"Heavy Slam!" Norman yelled, causing his pokemon to lumber over to Pikachu's downed form.

Ash's eyes widened in fear, knowing the ins and outs of this move. If this hit, Pikachu was going to be in a bad way.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack to dodge! You gotta get out of there!" Ash tried to keep the slight panic he felt for his pokemon out of his voice, but some of it still showed through.

Luckily, with Pikachu's tremendous speed and Snorlax's lack there of, the mouse-like pokemon managed to escape from danger just as Snorlax's immense body was coming down. Snorlax landed with a great thud, shaking the earth just slightly. Snorlax felt a little bit of pain from connecting so hard with the ground, but not much.

"Why did Ash sound so worried about Pikachu there? I mean, obviously he doesn't want him to get hurt, but that was the first time I've heard any serious worry in his voice." May was vary curious as to exactly what was happening, her engagement to the battle not faltering even once.

Max was going to respond, as May had been expecting, before Alyssa managed to beat him to it. "Heavy Slam is a move in which its damage is calculated using the two pokemon's weight. The greater the disparity between the user of the move and the target in terms of weight, the more power the attack has. And given this particular matchup, Heavy Slam will do _a lot_ of damage."

May listened intently to the information, becoming increasingly worried for both Ash and Pikachu as she spoke. Her desire for Ash to win was unrelenting, but it also lead to this being a slightly stressful situation. That being said, it was still, for the first time in May's life, very much an enjoyable battle to watch.

As Pikachu returned to Ash's side of the field, with Snorlax doing the same, the yellow pokemon was breathing just the slightest bit heavy.

"Good thing you got him out of there, Ash. That move might just be my key to victory." Norman stated, extra confident after what'd just occurred.

Ash wasn't the slightest bit phased by Norman's competitive words. Instead, he responded with a long stare down, his face stoic as he increased his intensity, which Pikachu felt.

"I guess I better not let that move hit then." Ash spoke fatly, his calm, intense disposition raising the interest of everyone present. It was just slightly different than how Ash had begun the battle. He was still intense then, but this was simply another level. It was as if he'd entered 'his zone.'

As if to express his increased intensity, Ash reached his hand up and grabbed the bill of his hat before turning it backwards.

"Oh man, Norman is in trouble!" Alyssa said as she smiled, excited to see Ash's famous 'hat move' in person.

May appeared confused by what her newest friend was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"During the Indigo League, Ash would only turn his hat backwards when he was pushed into a corner, when he really needed to turn up the intensity. It's like a sign that says 'I coming after you, and harder than before!' It's so badass!" Alyssa allowed herself to have a slight fangirl moment as she explained this.

May then looked at her brother, noticing he seemed more worried than he had before. This made it obvious that he'd known about what Ash's backwards hat meant as well, which was to be expected considering how many battles he'd seen that involved Ash. May then turned back toward the match, a smile on her face as her confidence in her best friend grew.

"Pikachu, thunderbolt. Aim for the head. You know what to do!" Ash commanded vaguely. Ash and Pikachu had worked on this combination thousands of times, and Ash was desperately hoping that it would work here.

"PI-ka-CHUUU!" Pikachu's small body light up brightly as he shot a large stream of lightning toward Snorlax.

Ash knew that this would hit as Snorlax were known for their near complete inability to dodge attacks. That being said, they made up for this with their tremendous defensive stats.

The Thunderbolt struck Snorlax directly in the face causing him to cry his name in pain, having not been expecting an attack this powerful from a Pikachu. Snorlax brought his hands to his eyes, momentarily blinded by the insanely bright light that'd just flashed before him.

Before the large pokemon was able to even regain his eyesight, he was under attack once again. Just as Ash and Pikachu had practiced so many times, Pikachu used his opponent's momentary blindness to get in close using Quick Attack and hit him with a couple physical attacks.

First, Pikachu hit Snorlax directly in the stomach with the Quick Attack he'd used to get to the immense pokemon so fast. After that, he used Agility to sprint around the back of him and jumped, solidifying his tail with a sheen of metal with one of his favorite moves.

Pikachu struck Snorlax in the upper back with an Iron Tail, causing the pokemon to cry out his name in pain once again.

"Snorlax, try to grab him before he gets away!" Norman screamed, noticing that Snorlax was just now able to see again.

With his combination finished, Pikachu was running back to his side of the field, only to be grabbed from off of the ground by the much larger Snorlax. Even Norman would admit that Snorlax managing to grab Pikachu was largely in part to a lucky break, but he wouldn't waste the opportunity it provided.

"Toss him!" As commanded, Snorlax tossed Pikachu through the air towards Ash's side of the field.

The mouse-like pokemon landed with a thud and skid a few feet before tucking himself into a ball and safely rolling away the rest of the momentum the throw had forced onto him. As he regained his footing, Pikachu was definitely feeling a bit of pain, but the same could be said of Snorlax. To those watching, they appeared to be in similar conditions at the moment.

Though before either man could call out another attack, everyone heard the loud bell that indicated that the front doors to the gym had been opened. Everyone looked in the direction of the entrance, wondering what was happening. This would've been a normal occurrence at most other times but at the moment, there was one big reason why this was so strange...

The gym was very clearly closed.

And locked.

* * *

 **A/N: And there's chapter 17! I hope you enjoyed it. Who are the mysterious three people? WHO KNOWS!? You'll find out for sure next time, even if you think you might have a guess now. I hope the battle was okay. Writing battles has always been the hardest part of writing pokemon stories for me. And god am I nervous to write contest appeals when the time comes for me to do that lol. You might have to cut me some slack on my first few appeal rounds once that time comes around. Anyway, please follow, favorite and review. Especially the review part. I've noticed a correlation with the amount of reviews I get for a chapter and whether or not I whine about leaving reviews (asking you to leave reviews) lol. but reviews really do keep me going, so please do tell me wha you think. I've been getting a lot of great feedback lately and I very much welcome all of it. if you have any questions about the story or anything really, shoot me a PM and I'll always respond as quickly as I can (which usually isn't more than a day).**

 **Oh, and the poll is finally up and available on my profile. I'll just say the reason it wasn't working was due to user error lol.**

 **And I have another question for you all: do you think the title "How to Change a Life" is good for this story. I thought it fit well for where are with the story now but when they start their journey, I'm just not sure. Please, let me know what you think.**

 **Okay, I've rambled long enough. See ya!**


	18. Courage

Hos to Change a Life

The battle was paused momentarily as everyone looked in the direction of the entrance, with Norman, Brock, Alyssa, Ash and even May waiting with their hands on their pokeballs, ready to defend if needed. They knew it was probably nothing, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

There was a 'waiting room' type area between the actual battlefield and the entrance to the gym, so they couldn't see who'd entered just yet; for this, they'd have to wait to see if the intruders actually came through the door that lead to the battlefield.

Finally after a few more moments, three people appeared from the waiting area. One man, one woman, and one who looked to be a young boy.

The woman turned to the man after noticing the gym was full of people. "See, I told you the gym was open! We just had to come in and see for ourselves."

"Actually, the gym is closed. This is a private battle. And also private property." Norman told the trio sternly, still on guard, even despite their non-threatening appearances. They were just emanating a strange aura, and everyone could feel it.

"Oh my, I'm terribly sorry. My wife was simply adamant on making absolutely sure that the gym was actually closed. You see, we promised our son here that he would get to watch daddy battle today." The man spoke apologetically as he referred to his son, who nodded his head innocently.

"How did you even get in here?" Max questioned skeptically.

"Oh, uh, the door was unlocked when we tried it so we just let ourselves in!" The woman responded, a little too happily.

"Well that's funny...because I made sure that those doors were locked when I closed the gym down earlier. I'm one hundred percent certain that they were locked..." Max outed their lie; he was absolutely positive that he locked all the doors and windows leading into the gym, as he always did when tasked with closing the gym.

With this newfound knowledge, everyone put their guard up higher than before, with Alyssa and even May joining the two men on the field, ready to defend themselves.

"Okay, who are you!?" Norman screamed, becoming angry at the intruders. Now that he knew for sure that they were lying. It was obvious that they weren't who they said they were at this point, and them hiding their true selves was definitely a bad sign.

The man was clearly nervous as he tried to speak. "Oh, umm...well..."

As he was so nervous, the man let his accent slip, causing Ash's eyes to widen in recognition. But before he could say anything, the woman let out a long sigh and spoke.

"Can you two do anything right!? I mean, come on! We even have better disguises, but you still blow it for us!" The woman scolded her two cohorts. Here voice serving to further confirm Ash's suspicion as to who these people were. The woman then turned back toward the others in the gym. "Good to see you back on your feet again, Twerp. We told you things would be going back to normal when you were better. And well...your better."

"Team Rocket! God, when you were being nice to me while I was in the hospital, I forgot how _annoying_ you are! And now, your invading the privacy of my best friend's home! That is _not_ okay!" Ash yelled at the three intruders, angrier than usually at the trio's appearance; this was May's home, and them intruding on it just felt so much worse to the raven haired man.

Ash was actually surprised by the appearance of the three rockets. For one, the disguises they were wearing were incredible. They truly appeared to be other people, with Meowth even actually looking like a child. They'd really stepped up their game on that front, which Ash saw as a very bad sign for the future.

"Well you know, if you wanted us to stop following you everywhere, trying to capture Pikachu, you could just join us..." Jessie started as herself and her partners tore off their disguises. Jessie then looked back to Ash and smirked seductively. "I promise, I'll treat you nice...Reallllll nice."

Jessie finished her speech with a wink, which caused Ash to recoil in disgust; Jessie would probably be considered an attractive women to most, but who she was as a person disgusted Ash, and many others around him.

May was also beyond angry, not only with how these people were invading her family's gym, their home, but also with how Jessie was speaking to Ash. Her face became red with anger as she grabbed onto Torchic's pokeball, ready to unleash fury on these three should she get the chance.

"That'll never happen! Now get out before I send you flying like always!" Ash commanded, to which the three rockets laughed.

"Things are different now, Twerp." Jessie started. "Your days of blasting us off are over. Meowth, now!"

"Right." Meowth said briefly before out of nowhere, pulling out what looked to be a large gun of some sort.

Everyone's eyes widened in fear, especially those of the people who'd never encountered the trio before. Ash on the other hand, knew exactly what this gun was for.

"Pikachu, move!" Ash yelled, trying to dive for his pokemon in order to grab hold of him.

But faster than he remembered from any other time they'd used this weapon, a claw hand shot forward and latched onto Pikachu's torso, grabbing him and zipping him back toward the rockets. James was ready and waiting with a cage, which was clearly electric proof.

Ash, having dove for Pikachu, hit the ground hard, causing him to 'oomph' in slight pain. Noticing this, May rushed over to his side and helped him up, asking if he was okay.

"Catch you later, Twerp and friends! And goodbye to you too, new Twerpette." Jessie yelled out as the three rockets ran toward the door that would lead to the lobby, and eventually out of the gym.

Though before they were even out of sight, Ash had started running after them, screaming for them to stop. Seeing this, everyone else followed, hoping to help in any way they could.

Norman was forced to return Snorlax to his ball as he wouldn't fit through the doors of the gym do to his girth. Though, he did plan to send him out again once they were outside so that he could lend his assistance.

As everyone funneled outside at breakneck speeds, the first thing that came into view was the huge Meowth hot air balloon, sitting in plain sight. It was immediately made obvious that this is where the rockets were heading.

By the time they all got outside, the three rockets were already in the balloon, ready to launch.

"Charizard, I choose you!" Ash called out his strongest pokemon, not wanting to mess around. As Charizard appeared, Ash explained to him the familiar situation as quickly as he could; all he really had to say was 'Team Rocket' and Charizard knew what to do from there.

As he was doing this, the hot air balloon was just beginning to lift into the sky.

"Charizard, Wing Attack. Pop that balloon!" Ash commanded. Though before he could shoot off the attack, Meowth shot the pokemon with a different type of weapon. It turned out to be a simple net gun, which was effective enough to stop Charizard for the time being. He tried to burn it off, but whatever material the net was made out of, it seemed to be fire retardant.

Everyone panicked at the sight, thinking not that they would get away. Norman was now reaching for Snorlax's pokeball and Alyssa was reaching for her Milotic.

Alyssa got her pokemon out first and calculated her attack. Knowing the physics behind hot air balloons, she focused in on the flame that was causing the balloon to lift.

"Milotic, Water Gun on the flame! We have to help our friend!" Alyssa screamed out, pointing with her arm. Norman had released Snorlax by this point, but was waiting to see if Alyssa's attack would handle the situation.

Milotic shot the stream of water with precise accuracy, putting out the flame with ease. The three rockets became worried as their balloon began quickly descending. With the rapid change in altitude leaving them off balance, James, who was holding Pikachu, lost his footing and sent Pikachu, who was still in the cage, over the edge of the basket.

Seeing him fall, Ash did his best not to panic as he positioned himself under where his best friend was to land. Ash just managed to catch Pikachu, having had to run a few feet to the right in order to do so as he'd slightly misjudged his partner's descent. He then opened the cage and hugged his pokemon closely.

By this time, Team Rocket and their balloon were in a heap on the ground.

May had decided now was a good time to get some revenge. She sent out Torchic and told her to march right up the the downed pink haired woman. May followed behind her pokemon, wanting to see this up close.

As Jessie looked up, she noticed the Torchic, as well as the brunette standing over her, a smirk on her face.

"Looks the the 'Twerp', 'Twerpette' and their friends just beat you." May spoke mockingly. "Torchic, she looks a little cold. Why don't you turn up the heat a bit?"

Torchic, who'd been informed of the situation, happily obliged and shot Jessie with a searing hot ember attack. She was angry that these people had tried to steal her best pokemon friend and she wanted to get a bit of payback.

Jessie felt the intense pain the heat caused her, but the flames wouldn't do any lasting damage as May didn't want to scar her or anything like that. Watching their partner be burned, Meowth and James were thinking that they might've gotten off lucky this time, with only Jessie being attacked.

But they immediately realized this wasn't true when an immense shadow cast over them. Hesitantly, the three looked up, only to see the giant Snorlax standing above them. They all screamed in terror as the large pokemon fell forward, smothering them under his belly.

After a few moments, Norman told his pokemon to get off of them, thinking that they'd had enough. It was clear to see that the rocket trio definitely felt that one, and did not enjoy it.

But despite all of this, there was still one more thing to do. Ash looked to Pikachu, with his pokemon returning the stare as both added their heads, silently communicating.

"You guys are _really_ bad at this, you know that, right?" Everyone watched on as Ash started speaking. Without waiting for a response, Ash continued. "Pikachu...you know what to do."

"Pi-ka CHUUUUU!" Pikachu's body lit up as it had earlier in the battle as he hit the three in front of him with a powerful Thunderbolt attack. As expected, this attacked caused the trio to fly into the air.

"We're blasting off again!" Their voices trailed off as they flew through the sky and out of sight.

With that taken care of, Ash turned around and sighed deeply. With his time away from them, he'd forgotten just how aggravating and annoying the three rockets were. And now, they'd brought May and her family into this, which he was definitely not okay with.

Charizard eventually managed to untangle himself and get out of the net and was now standing next to Ash, only to be returned to his ball after being thanked by his trainer.

Ash then decided he should address everyone as he held their attention already. "Thank you all for your help. They might've actually gotten away this time had you not been here."

Ash then turned his gaze to Alyssa, who had Milotic standing directly next to her. "Especially you, Alyssa. You and Milotic stopped them from getting away. You were the reason we were able to save Pikachu. Thank you so much."

Alyssa blushed a bit at the sincerity of Ash's words, which May noticed. She did feel slightly jealous of what he'd just said to her and her reaction, but she held her tongue, knowing that he was simply grateful to her for helping out. And she really couldn't help the fact that Alyssa thought so highly of Ash.

Ash walked up and pet Milotic on the head, who leaned happily into his touch, causing him to laugh.

"You're welcome, Ash. I couldn't just sit back and let them run off with Pikachu! You're my friend now, so of course I'd help you." Alyssa responded, causing Ash to smile warmly and nod his head in appreciation.

Ash then turned to May, who was holding Torchic in her arms. He approached the girl and pet Torchic on the head.

"You were really brave, May. You were right by my side when this whole thing was going down, ready to help anyway you could. That took an incredible amount of courage. Thank you so much for that." Ash thanked the brunette, which she hadn't been expecting, causing her to blush deep red. Both her mother and Alyssa noticed this, causing them to chuckle quietly.

May also smiled warmly at Ash's sincere words, appreciating them an incredible amount.

"And you Torchic. That was a heck of an Ember you hit Jessie with. You're a strong pokemon!"" Ash complimented the chick-like pokemon, who chirped happily in response and allowed a proud look to overcome her face.

Finally, Ash turned to face Norman and Caroline. "Thank you both as well...And I think I owe you an explanation."

While neither parents were expecting this, they were happy to hear what Ash had to say.

Ash went on to explain his relationship with the three members of Team Rocket, Jessie, James and Meowth. How they'd been following him for over a year, always trying to steal Pikachu from him.

"Are they dangerous?" Caroline felt the need to ask this question, despite them not really seeming as such in this most recent run in. That being said, what they had tried to do was a malicious act, and it worried the woman slightly, especially as her daughter planned on traveling with Ash.

Ash chuckled at the question and shook his head. "They're about as dangerous as fly. They're a nuisance more than anything. And I truly do believe that they're good people inside, they just have nowhere else to go and have lost all direction of their lives. I think what they did at the hospital proves that. But god are they annoying..."

Not only Caroline and Norman, but the rest of those present, listened in to what Ash had to say. The two parents thought over the information before nodding their heads.

"Okay, Ash. Thank you for explaining that to us. And honestly, we're sorry that this is something you have to deal with. But you can obviously handle them and if you say that they aren't dangerous, then we trust you. And we also trust that you're strong enough to fend them off, no matter how hard they try to come at you." Norman told the raven haired trainer, who nodded his head in understanding.

May and Caroline were no longer surprised by how Norman treated and interacted with Ash. It was definitely weird at first, but now it just seemed normal, and they were incredibly happy about this.

"So, should we return to the battle?" Brock questioned, happy to pick up where they'd left off.

Upon hearing Brock's words, both Norman and Ash looked at each other. They shared a gaze and had a silent conversation, each coming to the same conclusion.

"No." Both Ash and Norman said at the same time.

"What!?" Max exclaimed, not at all expecting this to be the answer; his question had meant to be almost rhetorical. The others were also surprised by their decision to end the battle where they did.

"Pikachu has got to be tired after going through all of that stress, meaning he's worse off than he was when we paused the battle." Norman explained, to which Ash nodded in agreement.

"And besides, I think not having a definitive winner is for the best right now..." Ash added cryptically.

"What do you mean, Ash?" Alyssa questioned. Like the Maple siblings, she was slightly disappointed that she wasn't going to see an end to the battle.

"Because if I beat him now, then doing it the second time when I come back for my gym badge won't be as sweet." Ash revealed confidently. He then turned to address Norman "I had a lot of fun getting a taste of what a battle with you is like, but I'd really enjoy having our first full battle be when I'm here to get my gym badge. So for right now, I'm happy to take the draw. Does that sound good to you?"

This was the same conclusion that Norman had come to when they were locked in their stare just moments ago.

Norman smiled and nodded his head, sticking his hand out for a shake, to which Ash happily accepted. "A draw it is. But next time, I'm not holding back."

Ash smirked at the man words before scoffing, revisiting something he'd said just before the battle had begun. "Funny...I was about to say the same to you."

Despite being disappointed that there would be no definitive winner today, the news of an even bigger battle down the road made Max excited.

"Well then, as official referee, I declare this match a draw!" Brock exclaimed in an over-the-top manner, causing everyone to chortle.

At that moment, everyone decided to head back into the gym. That is, once Norman returned Snorlax to his pokeball after thanking him and being hugged too tightly by the huge pokemon. Everyone laughed at that moment, especially when Norman revealed that Snorlax did that a lot.

As they continued walking inside, Max had a cocky smirk on his face and his arms crossed in front of his chest as he spoke. "You know Ash, it's a good thing you and dad decided to call that battle a draw. Because had it gone on any longer, you would've lost for sure."

Ash's raised an eyebrow as he chuckled to himself. "Oh, is that so?"

Everyone else was chuckling at the interaction, except for May and Max, who were taking this seriously.

"He would not have! Ash was just about to win when Team Rocket interrupted us! It was obvious that Pikachu was just about to knock Snorlax out!" May yelled at her brother, truly believing what she was saying, just as Max was.

"Are you crazy!? Were you even watching the same battle as us!? Dad was one move away from a knock out!" Max retorted loudly.

Just before their argument had started, the group had entered the gym and had stopped walking, which allowed May and Max to face each other in order to yell at the other more effectively.

The two went back and forth a few more times before someone had to step in. Ash placed a hand on May's shoulder from behind, causing her to pause mid-sentence and turn her head to face him. Ash simply smiled softly at the brunette, which caused all of the anger she felt to melt away instantly.

She immediately relaxed as she gazed into Ash's big brown eyes, silently admiring them. They were so full of kindness and compassion, but she could also see a fire, a fierce drive within them. As she stared, she couldn't help but smile softly herself as she loved simply standing here and looking into Ash's eyes, using them as a window to peer into his pure soul. What May didn't know was that Ash was thinking a very similar thing at this moment.

Ash also couldn't help but take notice of just how deep May's blue eyes were. They were truly stunning. And like May, Ash truly felt that he could see into the brunette's soul, which held nothing but love and kindness. The two felt as if this moment had been going on forever when in reality, it had been less than two seconds. That being said, they'd be happy standing here doing just this for a very long time.

The two gazed into each others eyes for a few moments longer before Ash nodded just slightly. May continued smiling softly, understanding what Ash was telling her before she turned around and faced Max, who was still rambling.

"...are you even listening!?" Max yelled just as May turned to face him again. He'd obviously been saying things while she was lost in her own little world with Ash.

"You know what, Max? We simply have different opinions, and that's okay. Let's just agree to disagree and move past this amicably." May spoke calmly, shocking Max into silence.

Max was an expert at responding to his sister' harsh words, but he'd never had to react to something like this. His mouth floundered a few times before he decided it best to simply sigh and nod his head in agreement, having no idea what to say..

Ash, Alyssa and Brock were chuckling at the scene while Norman and Caroline were looking on in amazement.

Caroline, who was standing next to Ash, addressed him. "Did you hypnotize her or something? Because that is not like May at all."

Ash, along with everyone else laughed at the joke while May pretended to be offended.

"Hey! I'm a big girl. I can be civil sometimes!" May pouted in a joking matter before laughing with the rest of the group.

It was then that everyone decided to go back into the house and deal with cleaning the gym later. Ash, Max and Norman were at the front of the pack, talking about the battle they'd just had, while Alyssa and May were trailing behind, with Caroline not far in front of them.

Seeing a chance to tease her new friend, Alyssa smiled innocently and whispered to May.

"It seems like Ash really brings out the best in you, doesn't he?" Alyssa asked softly, her words actually having a lot of truth behind them.

May only went slightly red as she was paranoid that someone would hear what Alyssa had said. After realizing that the guys couldn't hear their conversation at this level of speaking, she smiled an incredibly warm smile and nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah...Yeah, he does." May responded back dreamily, surprising Alyssa that she hadn't gotten more embarrassed over her comment.

Caroline, who'd managed to hear their entire conversation, was smiling brightly. She was so happy for her daughter and was beginning to desperately hope that the two would get together at some point. The young mother quite literally couldn't think of anyone that May deserved more and vice versa. She was such a great person, and she truly deserved the best. Caroline wanted her daughter to find eternal happiness and as time went by, she was really staring to think that Ash might just be the one who could give that to her.

Though like her daughter had said the night before, she wasn't going to rush anything. Admittedly, she was getting _way_ ahead of herself when talking about eternity; it wasn't even one hundred percent certain that Ash and May would be traveling together as of yet after all.

Caroline knew that she shouldn't meddle in her daughter's love life, and she'd promised herself that she wouldn't do as such, for her daughter's sake. That being said, this didn't mean she wouldn't give her a little... _push_ when the opportunity presented itself.

It only took a few moments for the group to reach the kitchen, with everyone pulling up chairs around the table. It was starting to get later in the evening, and there wasn't anything else that the gang needed to do for the day. That is, except for May and by association, Ash, who had something to share a bit later.

However for now, they decided it best to simply enjoy each other's company. The large group sat around chatting for a couple of hours, at one point having migrated to the living room in order to be more comfortable.

As they did this, Ash made a joke about everyone messing up 'his bed', which happened to be the biggest couch in the room. This caused everyone to chuckle at the admittedly lame joke.

Once everyone calmed down, Norman decided to change topics to something that was on his mind. A topic that greatly excited him. He turned his attention toward May, Ash and Alyssa before speaking.

"So, all three of you are aiming for the Hoenn League this year... That's going to be quite interesting when you reach the league tournament. You might have to face each other!" Norman spoke with a teasing tone of voice.

Again, May immediately became uncomfortable about this subject. This time, she was even more so than usual as she knew that tonight was when she was finally going to be telling her parents the truth. Despite this, May was able to keep any negative emotion from being noticeable to her parents and Alyssa, but Ash and Brock could clearly tell what she was feeling.

Both Ash and Brock discretely looked at their friend in concern, worried about how much this always served to effect her. Ash was glad that May was going to tell her parents the truth tonight, but it was without a doubt going to be difficult for her.

Alyssa, unlike her friends, became excited about the current topic. "That'd be awesome! Like I said, I'd love to battle you Ash. And I'd really like to battle you too, May. I'm excited to see what kind of team you've put together once we get to the tournament."

May forced a smile and simply nodded her head, not confident that she would be able to keep her voice level should she respond verbally. Hoping to take the pressure off of May, Brock tried to redirect the conversation.

"So Norman, any crazy stories about your time as a Gym Leader? Because I know I have quite a few myself. " Brock expertly brought up a topic that he hoped Norman would be happy to talk about.

As he'd hoped, Norman took the bait and began telling stories of crazy things that'd happened during his time as a Gym Leader. May looked at the man thankfully, who nodded discretely in response. May then glanced at Ash as he shot her a sympathetic look that also told her that he was there for her, no matter what. This made May feel a bit better as she tried to move past the difficult topic for just a while longer.

The group continued their conversations for a while, with everyone throwing in comments and stories of their own.

It was just about 9:00pm when Alyssa stood to her feat during a break in the conversation, catching everyone's attention. Seeing this, she addressed the room.

"I should get back to the Pokemon Center. I plan on leaving really early tomorrow morning, so I need to get to sleep early. I'm going to head to the next town in order to train for my rematch with you, Norman." Alyssa explained to the group, slightly sad by the fact that this wonderful day was coming to an end.

Everyone else was saddened by the news as well. May even decided to speak. With what she was thinking, she might not have to leave.

"Why don't you just stay here? I mean, I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind. Right?" May looked to her mother and father for confirmation.

Norman and Caroline looked to each other, seemingly asking the other if they thought it was okay. After just a moment, Caroline turned back to face Alyssa and May.

"We have no problem with you staying over, but we don't really have anywhere for you to sleep. We only have one guest room and Brock is occupying that. And Ash is already on the couch. I just don't know where you could sleep comfortably." Caroline explained the issue.

Despite the problem that had arisen, May responded quickly with a solution. "She could sleep on one of the other couches! I know they're not as big, but we could make it work. Or she could stay in my room and use a sleeping bag or something."

May was campaigning so hard to have Alyssa stay because she was really the first female friend she'd ever had. And when she left in the morning, there was no telling when they would cross paths again. She just wanted to spend some more time with her new friend, and she could tell that Ash and Brock felt similarly as they also enjoyed her company.

"Well, if you can figure out your sleeping arrangement then we have no problem with it." Norman concluded, with his wife nodding her head in agreement.

Alyssa felt happiness rush throughout her body, much like May, as she took in the good news. While she didn't mind sleeping in Pokemon Centers, this was a much better alternative. Especially since she had good friends here to spend time with.

And while she said she was leaving because she had to get to sleep, Alyssa wasn't actually tired at all; she'd simply felt like she'd overstayed her welcome as to her, it felt as if was getting quite late for company to be over. She truly did want to wake up early in order to leave petalburg, but she was an expert at running off of little sleep as many traveling trainers were. And now that she didn't have to leave, she planned on staying up for a while.

"Im assuming your things are still at the pokemon Center?" Brock inquired, noticing she had nothing but her pokemon and a small bag with her at the moment. This assumption was confirmed when the young woman nodded her head.

Ash, being who he is, jumped at the opportunity to lend his aid. "I'll run over there for you. I have to go there to heal Bulbasaur anyway. What room number are you?"

Before Alyssa could answer, May beat her to it, saying what she was going to say for her. "Don't be silly, Ash. We'll just take a walk over there together. A nighttime stroll sounds nice anyway."

Alyssa nodded her head, expressing her agreement with the idea. Upon hearing May's words, both Ash and Brock agreed and the four, along with Pikachu, stood up and told Caroline and Norman that they would be right back; Torchic, being tired, requested to be put back in her ball for the time being.

Before they left however, Ash turned to Norman, forming an idea in his head. "Hey, would you like me to take Slaking and Snorlax to the Pokemon Center for you? I'm going to heal Bulbasaur and Pikachu while we're there, so would you like me to do the same for your pokemon?"

Norman had planned on walking over to the center later, after he'd cleaned up the gym, but this was a convenient opportunity that he wasn't going to pass up.

Norman smiled happily at the offer and nodded his head before handing over his two pokemon in their balls. "Thank you, Ash. I'd really appreciate that."

With this being done, the four friends then left the house in route to the Pokemon Center.

The cool air that nighttime provided was a refreshing contrast to Hoenn's typical daytime weather. Being considered a tropical region, Hoenn's daytime temperatures were typically fairly high. That being said, it rarely got so hot that it as uncomfortable. But none the less, the cool air the four were feeling now was welcomed with open arms.

The walk seemed to take no time at all, especially since the group was so engrossed in their conversation. Nurse Joy welcomed the familiar faces as they passed the front desk and made their way to the section of the Pokemon Center that housed the rooms.

They quickly found Alyssa's room and gathered everything that was inside. It wasn't much, as was typical of a traveling trainer, so it wouldn't be difficult to carry. Though what little there was, Ash and Brock offered to carry it back to the house for her.

Alyssa thanked the boys for their chivalry, while May simply called Ash, with Brock being lumped in this time, a 'charmer' once again.

Alyssa dropped off her room key at the front desk, informing Nurse Joy that she wouldn't be needing the room anymore. Ash also took this time to hand over both his own, and Norman's pokemon for Nurse Joy to heal quickly.

As there weren't many people here at the moment, the young nurse was able to heal the four pokemon very quickly.

As soon as the pokemon were returned to Ash, the group said their goodbyes to the pink haired nurse and left the center to return to the Maple household.

Again, the walk didn't take long whatsoever as they entered the house after being gone less than 15 minutes. As they entered, they noticed Caroline was doing some minor cleaning in the kitchen, with Norman and Max nowhere in sight.

"Hey, where's dad and Max?" May questioned her mother, whom paused. What she was doing in order to answer her.

"They started cleaning up the gym. They went to do it about five minutes ago." Caroline explained to the group of friends.

May nodded in understanding. Without a word, Ash and Brock began walking toward the house entrance to the gym. Everyone noticed this, with May and Caroline knowing that they were going to help clean the gym as they did yesterday. Alyssa made this assumption herself, only to have it confirmed by May.

With it now only being the girls, May decided she should show Alyssa up to her room, where she'd be sleeping for the night. They only really had one couch that could comfortably be sprawled out on, and Ash had already laid claim to that one. And even though May knew that he would happily give up the couch for Alyssa, she was not going to let that happen; he deserved to be comfortable just as much as anyone.

The two brunette's made their way up the stairs, with May quickly pointing out where the bathroom was, even though she had a bathroom of her own in her room, which she would more than likely be using instead of the one in the hallway.

Alyssa complimented May's simple room as they entered. Alyssa then walked to the side of May's bed away from the door and laid out her sleeping bag, setting it up so that she wouldn't have to do this later when she was more tired. She'd decided that sleeping here was a better alternative than sleeping on an uncomfortable couch. And plus, she'd be sleeping almost right next to Ash, and the thought of that alone embarrassed her to no end.

As this was going on, May was thinking about what she was going to do very soon. Once her Dad and the other guys returned from cleaning the gym, she would finally tell her parents the truth, why she'd really decided to become a trainer. The nerves she felt were greater than ever before, but she couldn't ignore the topic anymore. The only thing that helped ease her mind slightly was that she knew that Ash was going to be right by her side, lending his support, which meant an incredible amount to her.

Having seen Ash be strong and brave in quite a few situations made her believe that she could do the same. Especially when he'd stood up to her former bullies the other day as that was more similar to what was about to happen than the incident at the cliff was. While having Ash stand up for her was greatly welcome, this act also motivated May to want to work on standing up for herself more often and trying to have more confidence. She didn't know how well this was going to work out, but she supposed she'd have her first trial in just a few minutes.

May also realized that now that Alyssa was going to be staying here for the night, she was going to have to be a part of this. Rather, she would be sitting off to the side, but she would be completely in the dark about the whole situation and that could be incredibly awkward and uncomfortable for her. Because of this, May decided she should tell her fellow brunette the true reason behind her journey and why she'd been hiding it from her parents. That way when it came time to have the talk, she wouldn't be confused.

"Hey, Alyssa?" May started, causing Alyssa to turn her head toward her, having just finished laying out her sleeping bag. "There something I need to tell you..."

"Okay. What is it?" Alyssa responded, curious as to what the topic was as May sounded kind of serious.

And so, May took a deep breath and told Alyssa everything. After she'd told Ash and he'd reassured her, she truly had no problem telling people the real reason behind her journey. She wanted her friends to know her dream as she was proud of it, and she knew her friends would be proud of her for following it.

It took a while, but May finally finished explaining the whole situation to her friend. As Alyssa processed all of this new information, she couldn't help but let out a long breath, realizing how hard this must be for May.

"I'm really sorry about lying to you when we were talking about this earlier. I just didn't want to take the chance of my parents finding out by overhearing our conversation. That would not be a good way for them to find out about this." May apologized to the woman while also explaining herself. May typically wasn't a dishonest person, so lying always made her upset, and this was no exception.

"May, it's perfectly okay. I understand completely. If I was in your situation, I would've done the same thing. I can't imagine how hard this must be on you with your dad being such a renown trainer and Gym Leader. And I want to say thank you for telling me, as well. I really appreciate you letting me see deeper into your life." Alyssa responded, happy that their friendship had developed so much in just a day's time.

May nodded her head and managed a genuine smile, even despite all that was going through her mind. "After I had that first talk with Ash, I realized that I shouldn't be ashamed of my dream, no matter what it may be. I have to pursue it, no matter what. Now, the only thing standing in the way of my dream is telling my parents, which I'm going to do as soon as the guys are done in the gym. That's why I wanted to tell you before it all goes down. And if you want to leave because you feel uncomfortable or awkward with the situation, that's totally fine and I understand. But just know that you're more than welcome to stay."

Alyssa didn't even have to think about the offer as she smiled and responded to her newest friend. "I'm not just gonna leave! I'm pretty good at not being uncomfortable with a lot of things, so I should be fine. And after all that is taken care of, we can just hang out up here in your room and get past the whole thing. It'll be like a sleepover!"

May became excited at the prospect of a fun girls night so to speak, momentarily pushing the stressful thoughts from her mind. She'd never had a sleepover before as she didn't have any friends to do that with before just recently. All she had to do now was get past this topic and she could simply enjoy the rest of the night. Though, that was definitely easier said than done...

Once everything was all settled in the room, May decided that they should head back downstairs as the boys were more that likely finishing up with the gym by now.

Despite being the one to suggest this, May was definitely feeling stressed and scared as now was the time for her to finally come clean. Before the two left the room, May closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath, hoping to calm herself.

It worked just slightly, giving her the courage to finally leave the room and go downstairs. May came down the stairs slowly, subconsciously trying to drag this out. But in reality, this was doing nothing but prolonging the inevitable.

Eventually, the two women entered the kitchen, being greeted by Caroline. Both girls said their hellos, but Carline could tell that something was up with May. With her being more stressed than ever, she wasn't able to fully hide what she was feeling like normal.

"May, is something wrong?" Caroline questioned, hoping that everything was okay with her daughter.

May became worried that her mother had read her so easily and was quickly searching her mind for what she hoped would be a convincing response.

Luckily for her, it was at this time that the four guys returned from cleaning the gym, taking her mom's attention off of her. May let out a silent breath, glad that she was saved and wouldn't have to tell her mother another lie, which she more than likely wouldn't have believed anyway.

Everyone greeted each other as they reconvened in the kitchen. After the pleasantries were out of the way, Ash looked to May, seeing when she was going to act. Ash saw the intense worry etched on the brunette's face, so he smiled as softly as he could and nodded his head encouragingly, hoping to help her past this.

This helped calm May down, if only just slightly. But just as she was about to address her parents and say that she had something to tell them, a wave of panic washed over her. Ash noticed this and instantly became worried, not knowing what to do or how to help her at the moment.

"I, uh, I think I dropped something when we were walking to he Pokemon Center. I'm gonna go look for it really quick." May spoke quickly, a bit of emotion finding its way into her voice. With that said, May rushed off hurriedly toward the gym before anyone could even react.

She hated telling another lie, but she had no idea what to do at the moment other than this.

As May hurried toward the front door, Ash knew he had to do something. "I'll go help her look. You guys stay here. Pikachu, stay with Brock, okay?"

Ash then left quickly, just as May had, before anyone could say anything. Norman and Max became confused over what was happening while Caroline felt both confusion and worry for her daughter. She'd noticed the amount of emotion she'd shown on her face just before she ran out of the house, which was a sign in it of itself.

That being said, she could tell by Ash's immediate reaction that he knew that something was wrong as well and was going to talk to her; chances were, May hadn't really dropped anything. Caroline trusted Ash immensely and decided it best to let him handle the situation for now. She once again found herself incredibly glad that May had found such amazing friends, Ash in particular, who would always be there for her, especially after the childhood she had.

"Well that was weird. Do you think everything is okay?" Norman asked those in the room.

Both Brock and Alyssa became concerned that the two parents knew that something was up, which was not a great way to start off the conversation that was to go down soon. The two friends instantly recognized that Caroline knew something was wrong, and they were worried that she might decided to go after May.

Though despite all expectations, Caroline smiled brightly at her husband and reassured him. "I'm sure everything's fine, dear. May's obviously just a bit worried that she lost something. It was probably just some lip gloss or something of the sort. Why don't we sit down and I'll get everyone something to drink?"

Both Brock and Alyssa were confused at first, before realizing what Caroline was doing. She was worried about May, but she trusted Ash to help her. What the two didn't know was that Caroline also didn't want Norman to go into 'dad' mode and possibly overwhelm her as he was sometimes known to do.

Knowing that Caroline could always read May the best out of everyone in the family, Norman simply shrugged and took a seat at the table as his wife had suggested. Everyone else followed suit soon after, telling Caroline what they wanted to drink.

While this was happening inside, May had begun pacing in front of her home after exiting through the front door. Right behind her was Ash, who'd followed her closely, trying to keep up with her without making the scene worse.

May instantly noticed Ash arrive just seconds after she'd left the house, but didn't stop her back and forth pacing.

"May." Ash wanted her to stop moving so that they could talk, but she seemed to be consumed in her thoughts and couldn't tell what he was saying.

Noticing this, Ash stepping in her path, cutting her off, and grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping her and gaining her attention. The two locked eyes, with Ash shooting her a comforting look. May was staring back stoically before Ash noticed a few tears make their way to the corners of her eyes.

Before she could start crying, Ash pulled May in close and hugged her tightly. "Shh...It's okay, May. Everything is going to be okay."

May knew she had to get herself together, and managed to do so, if only slightly, after about a minute; Ash's embrace had also helped her calm down a great deal.

When Ash noticed that she'd stopped making nosies indicative of crying, he pulled back slightly, still not leaving much distance between the two despite no longer touching.

"May, what's wrong?" Ash questioned before he realized he very obviously already knew. "Okay, admittedly a stupid question..."

This quip actually managed to make May crack a smile, which Ash saw as a good sign. He then decided to rethink his next words and try again.

"I'm guessing you just kind of freaked out when the time actually came to tell them?" Ash asked, more as a statement than a question. Seeing May nod her head, Ash continued. "I understand, May. It's one thing to make the plan to do it, but actually going through with it is something else entirely. But do you want to know something...?"

Ash ended his sentence cryptically, causing May to nod her head, her gaze never leaving his.

Ash smiled once again before he continued. "Everything is going to be okay. Remember what I told you last night? I promise you May, everything is going to turn out just fine, and you're gonna feel so much better when your get this off your chest. And I'm going to be right there with you the whole time."

As he spoke, Ash wiped a few stray tears that'd overflowed from her watery eyes. After he finished, Ash kept up his smile and allowed both himself and May to simply stare into each other's eyes for a few moments, with Ash hoping that she could find comfort in his gaze .

After a couple of moments, May broke eye contact momentarily before reclaiming it and finally speaking.

"I know, Ash. I do remember everything you said last night, and I truly do trust and believe every word of what you said. It's just...I've never been in a situation like this before. I've never lied to my parents, not like this. I'm just so scared that they're gonna be really mad at me. That they'll freak out and say or do something that I won't be able to handle." May finished, her emotion filled voice striking Ash's heart.

Ash looked at the girl sympathetically. He had no idea what she must be feeling right now, what she was going through. Though, he had been in situations where he was dreading doing something or facing someone, and he knew how difficult actually taking action could be. And it broke Ash's heart that May still thought such negative things were going to happen, especially since this concerned her parents.

"May...you have to trust yourself. Trust in the fact that telling them the truth is what's going to make all of this pain, all of this fear, go away. I obviously don't know your parents like you do, but I think your fear is causing you to think them to be people they're not. Though I'm not going to lie to you, they might be upset that you lied to them but in the end, they'll understand why you did what you did because they love you unconditionally." Ash finished, hoping that his words would help.

Ash knew full well that should May not tell her parents right now, she'd regret it. Plus, she would still constantly be living in fear and worry of her parents finding out. Should she go on her planned journey without telling her parents the truth, they would eventually find out that she wasn't taking on the gyms, and finding out that way would certainly be much worse for everyone.

May looked to her feet, still terrified of going back into the house and doing as was planned. But luckily, Ash was here with her and she could think of no better person who would be able to help her through this.

"I know, Ash. You're right about all of this...It's just so hard. I don't know if I can do it. I-I'm just not a brave person. I'm not like you in that regard..." May confessed to the man, still not meeting his eyes.

Ash almost scoffed at May words. He couldn't believe that this was what May thought of herself. But luckily, he knew he had the exact right words to say in this situation.

"May, I want you to look at me." Upon Ash's request, May slowly brought her eyes up to once again meet Ash's and see his soft, comforting smile. "May, you _are_ brave. You're courageous, heroic, and every other synonym of the word."

May appeared confused about how Ash could think this about her "But Ash, I-"

Not wanting May to speak negatively about herself anymore, Ash cut her off. "You _are_ brave, May. You stood by my side earlier today when Team Rocket tried to steal Pikachu. Even when you knew Torchic wouldn't really be able to protect you, you still stood courageously next to me, ready to help in any way you could...And don't forget, you made it through your childhood, May. You survived being ridiculed, bullied, harassed...and through all of that, you still turned out to be an incredibly wonderful person. So many people who had childhoods like ours end up giving in and allowing themselves to wallow in despair and anger, causing them to turn into a person their not supposed to be. But you didn't do that. You were brave enough, strong enough, to face these problems everyday of your life and come out the other side stronger and better than before. And If that's not bravery, then I don't know what is."

"So please don't tell me you aren't brave, May. Because in reality, you're braver than I am." Ash paused for a moment, allowing his words to really sink in.

Seeing that May wasn't going to respond immediately, Ash got an idea in his head that he thought might help. Ash reached out and grabbed May's hand, holding it softly in his own. May looked down at their connected hands before looking back at Ash, who was about to speak.

"This always made you more comfortable when we were at the hospital, right? So this should make you comfortable here too. Even though you're brave beyond belief, I understand that this is scary. But like I said, you don't have to do this alone. I'm going to be right by your side, ready to defend you at a moment's notice. That's the best part about friends, they're always going to be there to pick you up when your down...And remind you just how strong, just how incredible you truly are." Ash finished softly, smiling at the brunette in front of him, who still had yet to react.

May was trying to process all that'd just been said to her. May felt the incredible amount of truthfulness and sincerity behind Ash's words; he truly believed everything he was saying. Now that they'd spent so much time together, May knew that something like this was almost certainly to be expected from Ash but somehow, he still managed to surprise her every time.

May knew that he was going to be there for her, and that he wasn't just saying that, but actually having him here, now, when she was so vulnerable, meant the world to her. She once again found herself marveling at Ash's dedication to those he cared about, and May thanked her lucky stars that she was on that list of people. And considering how Ash talked about her, she was very high up on that list.

Without a word, May shot forward and wrapped Ash up tightly in a deep embrace, burying her head into his chest. She was feeling so many positives emotions and she was trying to stop herself from shedding tears of joy as she didn't want to cry anymore. She was feeling so many things for the man in front of her and she just wanted to show him how much she appreciated him.

Sure, she was still nervous about telling her parents the truth but now, she was confident that she would be able to get through it. That she was brave enough. Strong enough. Just like Ash. It seemed they shared even more in common than they even thought originally.

After a minute or so, May reluctantly forced herself to pull away, missing Ash's embrace immediately. What May didn't know was that Ash was feeling similarly. May smiled brightly at Ash, her eyes full of emotion, so thankful that he was here with her.

May stared deeply into his eyes and shook her head just slightly, the smile ever present on her face. "How did I ever get through life before I met you?"

Ash smiled in response, enjoying his view of May's sapphire blue eyes. "Because you're brave, May. How many times am I gonna have to tell you that?"

Ash said the last part teasingly, causing them both to laugh; Ash had wanted to lighten the mood even further and he was happy to say that he'd been successful.

"I've never been as grateful for anything as I am for having met you. Meeting you was without a doubt the greatest thing that's ever, or will ever happen to me. You know that, right?" May questioned sincerely. Even though she'd told him similar things before, she wanted Ash to be reminded everyday of what she thought of him.

Ash actually blushed ever so slightly and kept up his soft smile as he responded. "I believe I do. And do you know that I think the exact same of you? That getting the chance to meet you, to become so close with you, means more to me than becoming champion ever could?"

May gasped slightly and nodded without hesitation. "You've proven that time and time again. Thank you so much for just... being here with me."

Ash returned her words with a nod of his own. "You know you don't ever have to thank me, but you're welcome. Now, are you ready?"

Upon hearing Ash's question, May closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A few moments later, she nodded her head.

"I can do this. Everything is going to perfectly fine." May said to herself, for the first time in a while, truly believing what she was saying here. When she thought about it, she knew she was blowing this whole thing out of proportion, but she just couldn't help but be scared, and Ash thought it to be more than understandable.

"Just remember, without fear, there cannot be courage." Ash told the woman as they began walking back toward the house.

May tilted her head at what Ash had said. "Why do I feel like I've heard that before...?"

Ash sighed in an over exaggerated manner. "Okay, so maybe I didn't come up with that on my own. It's still a good quote!"

Ash's joking reaction caused May to laugh, loosening her up even further, which Ash'd hoped it would do. It didn't take very long before the two best friends rejoined everyone in the kitchen.

Those sitting at the table Instantly welcomed Ash and May back. Despite what Caroline had told her, Norman still had a inkling that May had been feeling...off about something when she ran out of the house. His thoughts were furthered by the sight of her slightly red eyes, which indicated that she'd recently been crying.

"May is everything alright?" Norman asked with concern. He knew that sometimes, he could come on a bit strong when he was worried about a member of his family. He knew he should tread more lightly.

May smiled genuinely at her father and nodded her head. "Yeah dad, I'm okay. At least, I am now."

Caroline looked at Ash in gratitude, knowing that he must've helped May through whatever it was that was bothering her. Ash noticed this and returned the look with a smile and a nod of his head, which she saw as him saying that he was always more than happy to help his best friend.

"But there's something I need to talk to the both of you about. Do you think we could go into the living room to talk?" May finally prepped the conversation. Both of her parents were wondering what it was May had to tell them and happily complied

They then moved, along with everyone else, to the living room.

* * *

 **A/N: And there's chapter 18. I hope you enjoyed! And I'm sorry for leaving you with another cliffhanger, but there was just no better place to stop this chapter. So May is finally going to be telling her parents the truth. How do you guys think that'll go?**

 **Yes, the three people were Team Rocket. Though, I wanted to make them more credible by having incredibly good disguises, which they will have throughout the story. Also, I've always hated how obvious Team Rocket's disguises are and yet, Ash and the gang still always fall for it. This what, it'll actually have it make sense to not know that Team Rocket is up to something.**

 **And sorry for leaving stopping the battle before the ending. I want to leave the big ending for when Ash and Norman are actually battling over a gym badge, which will happen later in the story (Obviously, when the fifth gym comes around).**

 **Anyway, please follow, favorite and REVIEW the story so I know that you're enjoying it. See ya!**


	19. Truth

How to Change a Life

Ash and May were the last to follow the others into the living room, with the brunette taking one more deep breath. While her eyes were closed, May felt Ash grab her hand and squeeze it reassuringly. May then opened her eyes and looked at Ash gratefully; she was now fully confident that with her belief in herself and having Ash by her side, she could do this.

Finding an immense amount of comfort in Ash's touch, May decided that she would hold Ash's hand as she told her parents the truth. They'd be sitting, so it wouldn't even be noticed, not that it really mattered if it was.

The two then let go of each others hand after May made Ash promise that they would reconnect once they took their seats. May and Ash decided to sit on one of the two-seater couches, which was directly across from another two-person couch, on which her parents were seated. Brock, Alyssa and Max were all sitting on the only three person couch in the room, which also doubled as Ash's bed for the duration of his stay here.

May and Ash sat down very close together, doing so subconsciously. Once they were comfortable, May grabbed for Ash's hand, once again feeling comfort flow throughout her body just from his touch alone. And Ash, who despite being confident, was still feeling slightly stressed, yet hopeful that everything he told May would hold true, also found a great amount of comfort in May's touch. The two momentarily allowed themselves to relish in this feeling before May decided to finally address her parents.

"Mom, Dad, there's something I have to tell you." May started slowly. This was it, she was finally going to tell them. "There's something I've been...keeping from you. Something you need to know..."

Both Norman and Caroline were incredibly curious as to what their only daughter had to tell them. Also, they were surprised that she'd been keeping something from them as they had always been a very open family.

May looked to Ash once more, hoping to get one more look of encouragement. And of course, Ash didn't disappoint. He smiled softly at his best friend and nodded his head, gaining the last bit of confidence she needed to do this.

May then turned back to her parents and took a deep before finally telling them the truth. "On my journey, I'm...I'm not going to be taking on the gyms. And my goal isn't to compete in the Hoenn League..."

Both Norman and Caroline became even more confused by what May'd just told them. They had no idea what she could possibly mean by this as they simply couldn't take it at face value at the moment. For months, she'd been telling them that she wanted to get a pokemon, become a trainer and enter the Hoenn League, so this revelation seemed to come out of nowhere.

"May, what do you mean? You told us you wanted to be a trainer. That you wanted to enter the Hoenn League. Hell, that you wanted to _win_ the Hoenn League" Norman was hoping to get more answers from her daughter.

"What I mean is... being a pokemon trainer isn't my dream. It never was. Battling gyms and fighting other trainers isn't what I want to do with my life." May finally revealed to her parents.

Her parents were simply too shocked to respond immediately. Max, who was also listening in, was shocked to hear this as well given that she'd told them that she wanted to be a trainer, and his sister never lied. Seeing this reaction, May became slightly worried.

Noticing May's duress, Ash squeezed her hand reassuringly once again. This caused May to calm down slightly, just in time to hear her mother speak.

"...Then what is your dream?" Caroline asked, a little upset at finding out that her daughter had been lying to her. That being said, she would give her a chance to explain herself.

Norman, whom was sitting next to his wife, still couldn't respond. His face held a look of shock on it as he stared at the ground.

"I...I want to travel the world. I want to see everything it has to offer. And I thought a pokemon journey was the perfect way for me to do just that." May told her parents. Though, she wasn't entirely sure her father was hearing what she was saying as his expression had yet to change, which worried her greatly.

"But why did you feel the need to lie to us? Why didn't you just tell us this from the beginning?" Caroline inquired, hoping to give her daughter a chance to explain her actions.

May sighed deeply before responding. "It's just...since I was young, dad always told me that someday, I'd come around and want to be a trainer. And because our family is so involved with pokemon training, I thought me wanting to do anything else wouldn't be accepted by you guys...And after I told dad I wanted to be a trainer, he was the happiest I've ever seen him in my life. I just didn't want to disappoint him...which it looks like I'm doing now..."

May felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, so incredibly worried by the way her father was responding to this revelation. The only thing keeping her from allowing the tears to fall was Ash being by her side, supporting her.

Upon seeing her daughter becoming emotional, she looked to her husband, for the first time noticing his lack of response. After giving May a chance to explain, Caroline now understood why her daughter felt the need to lie. Her whole life, she'd been pushed in the direction of becoming a pokemon trainer, and Caroline could clearly see why she was so worried about being a disappointment to them by wanting to do something else. This realization hit Caroline hard in the heart; she never wanted her daughter to have felt this way.

Everyone was now looking at Norman, waiting to see how he would react. After a few moments, he finally looked up again, his face stoic. He stared May in the eye for a few moments before standing from his chair and making his way out of the room.

Everyone was shocked by what was happening. How could this be his reaction? It was just so...childish. Seeing this made tears stream down May's face, which enraged Ash beyond belief. Before Norman could leave the family room, Ash shot to his feet and screamed at him.

"Hey! You can't just walk away from this! She's your daughter, you're supposed to support her, no matter what! Isn't her happiness the most important thing in your life!? Because if it's not, then you're doing this whole parenting thing all wrong!" Ash screamed, causing Norman to stop in his tracks, not yet turning around.

Ash was positively fuming, but cooled down just slightly when he felt a delicate hand on his shoulder. Looking back, he saw May standing behind him. She nodded at him, silently telling him that she was going to handle this.

May was immensely grateful that Ash was going to stand up for her, against her own father no less, but May knew that this was something she had to do herself. Seeing Ash do so many courageous things and not back down from anything motivated her to want to do the same.

Ash had told her that she was just as brave as him, and May was truly starting to believe this. She simply needed an opportunity to prove it to herself the remainder of the way, and this looked to be that opportunity.

"Daddy..." May spoke, unable to keep the emotion from entering her voice. She didn't quite no what to say at the moment, so she simply opted to just try to get her father to look her.

It was this that finally caused Norman to turn around. After this reaction, everyone, especially those closest to him, had expecting him to be upset, possibly even mad at May for what she'd done, and even more angry at Ash...

But that didn't seem to be the case.

No one expected to see what they did from the man.

Instead of anger or disappointment, Norman's face expressed an immense amount of...guilt? He even had tears welling up in his eyes, and he was never one to cry at anything.

It seemed that he still couldn't find the words to speak, so May continued. "I know how much you wanted me to be a trainer, to follow in your footsteps, but I just can't do that. It's not what I want...it's not my dream. I understand if you're mad at me, or are disappointed in me, but please try to understand where I'm coming from. Ash helped me see that my dream is my own, and that it can be whatever I want it to be. And I have to chase it, Dad. I have to follow my heart and right now, my heart is leading me on a journey around the world."

As May spoke, she approached her father slowly, letting go of Ash's hand to do so. Norman still hadn't changed his expression, instead he simply stared at his daughter with tearful eyes as she slowly approached him.

Her father's lack of response was killing May. This was exactly what she had been worried about. Her cloudy mind could only piece together a guess as to what her dad was feeling. All she could assume from his reaction was that he was mad beyond belief; she failed to see what everyone else did, possibly due to the stress of the situation. To her, it appeared that her fears had just been proved to be justified, that her father really was disappointed in her.

Maybe that was why his next action surprised her so much.

Norman shot forward and embraced her daughter in a hug, the tears that'd welled up in his eyes now falling freely down his face. May was confused at first as she had not been expecting this, but quickly got over it and returned the hug.

After a few moments, the two pulled away and looked into each other's eyes once again. It was finally time for Norman to say something.

"I'm so, so sorry, May" Norman started apologetically. Again, this served to confuse May. Seeing this, Norman continued in order to clear things up. "I pushed you too hard into pokemon battling, even when I knew it wasn't in your heart. I pushed you so far that you felt that you couldn't tell us your true dream, and that kills me. I messed up so badly. I am so sorry, May."

As it turned out, Norman had only been leaving the room because he was so ashamed of himself. He couldn't even look at May after she'd told them the truth without feeling like the worst person in the world. And what got to him even more than that was the fact that he also felt like the worst _father_ in the world.

May was gobsmacked by what her father was saying to her. She truly couldn't believe he was the one apologizing to her, especially when she'd expected him to have the complete opposite reaction.

Everyone else in the room watched the interaction, happy with Norman's response. Caroline had thought that he pushed May too much, but she didn't know that it'd gone as far as it did.

Ash was smilingly toothlessly as this was going on. He was so relieved that Norman wasn't reacting in a negative way. Despite his confidence and what he'd said to reassure May, there was always that one shred of doubt that still hung in the air. But now, it seemed it was nothing but clear skies ahead.

After a few moments, May forced herself to respond. "Dad, you don't have to apologize to me. I know that you meant well. I'm the one who should the apologizing. I've been lying to you guys for months. In fact, I'm not sure I ever would've mustered up the courage to tell you the truth at all had it not been for Ash."

Upon hearing her words, Norman looked over May's head and met Ash's gaze, nodding at him in both thanks and respect. Ash returned the nod, happy that he was able to help.

"Honey, I don't want you to apologize. My actions forced you into a situation you never should have been in. You should always feel comfortable enough to tell us anything, and I am so sorry that I made you feel otherwise. My first priority is your happiness, and of course I want you to follow your dream, even if that dream isn't the same as mine was." Norman spoke sincerely, feeling incredibly bad for what he'd done. "I have to accept the fact that you're your own person, who can do whatever you want with your life."

May smiled at her father before addressing him once again. "How about we both just accept each other's apology and move past this whole thing?

Norman smiled and nodded his head in response before capturing his daughter in another love filled hug. Alyssa, Brock and Ash were incredibly glad that this had gone well, the latter two especially. They'd known about this for significantly longer than anyone else and had been concerned about it the entire time. That being said, they both had confidence that things would work out, and they were immensely glad to say that they were right.

Caroline smiled at the moment between her daughter and husband, happy that this had been resolved. She felt so badly about never noticing that anything was wrong, that May was feeling the way she was. But there was nothing she could do about that, it was in the past now. She, much like Norman and May, were simply ready to move past this, and be happier because of it.

May and her father broke apart from each other after just a few moments, with both parties wiping their eyes, no longer producing any tears. May then walked back over to the couch she'd been sitting on with Ash and without really thinking, grabbed his hand. Ash also didn't find this out of the ordinary, and simply accepted it. Caroline, Brock and Alyssa all noticed this and couldn't help but smile.

"So you want to travel the world, huh?" Norman questioned rhetorically after regaining his seat next to Caroline. May nodded before he continued. "Well I think that's great. I that's your dream, then we support you, no matter what."

Caroline nodded her had, agreeing with what her husband had said. This is what families were supposed to do, support each other. Help each other reach their goals and follow their dreams.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. Thank you so much for understanding. I was so scared that you were going to be mad at me, that you might even not let me go on my journey..." May revealed, causing Caroline and Norman to feel badly once again for indirectly making her feel this way.

"Again, I am _so_ sorry for that. You should always feel like you can come to us with anything, without fear of being judged or rejected." Norman said. He knew that they'd already forgiven each together, but he still felt very badly about the situation. Though, he knew he could only learn from this experience and go from there as there was no use in living in the past.

May nodded at her father before turning her head toward Ash, shooting him a smile before looking back toward her parents. "And like I said, without Ash being here to support me, I don't know if I ever would've been able to tell you the truth. I just didn't think that I would ever b brave enough...But Ash felt otherwise. He made me realize that I had a great amount of courage inside of me all along, I just needed some help finding it."

May spoke sweetly, wanting her parents to know just how important Ash was to what'd just happened. How important he was to _her_. Once his daughter had finished speaking, Norman stood to his feet and began approaching the couch that was currently housing both Ash and May. Seeing that he was coming toward him specifically, Ash stood up, letting go of May's hand in the process, much to her displeasure.

Norman stopped a few feet away from the raven haired trainer, looking the slightly taller man in the eye. After just a few moments, Norman stuck out his hand for a shake. Seeing this, Ash accepted the strong handshake and nodded at the man.

"Thank you, Ash. Thank you for being there for our daughter when we couldn't be. For succeeding as a friend where I have failed as a father. You have no idea how much it means to me. To us. Thank you for supporting and caring for May as much as you do." Norman spoke with great sincerity after letting go of Ash's hand.

Ash became just the slightest bit embarrassed at the high praise and smiled in appreciation.

"I appreciate that Norman, but no thanks are necessary. It's easy to be there for someone when that person is so incredible." Ash spoke truthfully, again just saying what as in his heart.

Upon hearing Ash's words, May couldn't help but allow a stupid grin to cross her face. She also blushed a deep red, but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. She was just so happy, not only about what'd just happened, but also at the fact that her feelings for Ash were undoubtably growing stronger.

"I'll always support her because I care about her. My friends are my family, and I would do anything for them." Ash finished, emphasizing just how serious he was about those he cared about.

Norman smiled toothlessly at the man in front of him before nodding his head. "I know. You've proven that time and time again."

Of course, Norman was talking about how he'd almost lost his life because of his willingness to do so in order to save his daughter, but this was yet another example of what he meant. He could now say that he respected this man an incredibly high amount and was immensely glad that he was friends with his daughter, a first for him.

With both men having said what they wanted to, they retook their seats next to the women. Once everyone was back in their previous positions, Max decided to speak up.

"All jokes aside May, I always did find it strange how one day, you just suddenly decided to be a trainer, despite never expressing any interest in it before. I can't believe I didn't see it before." Max wondering how he hadn't known that May was't be truthful.

May nodded at her brother. "Yeah...looking back at it now, I probably wasn't all that convincing. I think dad was just so excited that it overshadowed anything that indicated me not being truthful."

As she finished speaking, May became remorseful for lying to her parents once again. She also wanted to be extra sure that this wasn't something she would be in trouble for, despite almost feeling like she deserved it.

"And again, I'm sorry for lying to you. Being dishonest with you killed me inside. I promise you, it will never happen again." May made sure that her parents knew that this was the only time she'd ever lie to them like she did.

Both Caroline and Norman could clearly see that May was deeply remorseful for not being truthful with them, which made it that much easier to forgive her.

"May, that's all in the past. We both understand why you felt the need to do it so just this once, you're not in any trouble for lying to us. And we know you won't do it again. We trust you." Caroline finished sweetly.

May nodded at her mother before wanting to be sure of just one more thing. She smiled hopefully at her parents, believing she already knew the answer to her question.

"So just be be clear...I can still go on my journey, right?" May questioned hopefully.

Both Caroline and Norman looked to each other, pretending to be pondering over the question. Though, May knew that they were just joking around, especially after they faced her again with huge smiles on their faces.

"Of course, May. If that's what's going to make you happy, then we support you." Norman told his daughter.

Finally having her parents approval to follow her dream, her _real_ dream, was one of the best feelings int the world to May. Hearing them say that they supported her in this actually made her squeal in happiness and excitement.

Just after she'd made this noise, the sole pokeball on her belt rattled for a moment before opening by itself, revealing Torchic to the room. Clearly, the pokemon had heard the entire conversation and was excited at the confirmation of their journey. Also because of the bond she'd already formed with her trainer, she felt May's excitement as her own.

Torchic was hopping up and down by May's feet, obviously wanting to be picked up and placed on her lap. This made everyone chuckle as May reached down to pick up her first and only pokemon, hugging her close after she'd done so.

At this time, Pikachu, who'd been sitting with Brock during the conversation, jumped off of the man's lap before running for Ash's. Ash happily welcomed his pokemon before he looked toward Torchic, who met his gaze.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu exclaimed joyously.

"Tor-chic!" Torchic responded with an equal amount of happiness before both pokemon jumped from their trainers' laps and began doing a little dance with each other.

This was one of the cutest things anyone in the room had ever seen. Everyone was filled with so much positive energy that it made everything seem ten times better than normal.

Once the two pokemon finished dancing, Pikachu reached out for a high-five. Seeing this made Torchic frustrated and angry as she had no arms to high five him with. Realizing he'd forgotten this, Pikachu began rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"He looks just like you, Ash!" May exclaimed, laughing at the sight.

Ash chuckled as well, knowing that Pikachu had picked up a lot of his quirks, especially because of their bond, which was deeper than most.

"Like trainer, like pokemon I guess." Ash said, allowing everyone to smile at the scene for a while longer.

After a while, Torchic forgave Pikachu and went back to her happy self.

It was at this time that everyone realized how quickly time had passed. Norman was the first to look at the clock that hung on the wall above the cabinet that housed all of their movies.

"Geez, it's already past 11? I need to get to bed. I have a challenger at 10 am and I need to be well rested for it." Norman explained to those in the room.

Wanting to head to bed as well, Caroline also stood to her feet. Honestly, she was simply feeling very proud of her husband for admitting that he was wrong and wanted nothing more than to cuddle with him for a while. Though, she simply told everyone that she was just tired as well.

After they said their goodnights and disappeared up the stairs, it wasn't much longer before Max let out a big yawn. Everyone chuckled as he'd over exaggerated it, making it much louder than it would've been normally. Max then said his goodnights and went to bed.

Everyone was currently standing, with them having aspirations of going to bed soon as well.

But now that Max was gone, there was something that May wanted to do. She knew that Max would without a doubt ruin the sincere thank you she wanted to give to Ash. She turned to face the raven haired man standing beside to her, whom met her gaze immediately.

But to May's surprise, Ash spoke first, beating her to it. "You did great, May. You really showed just how courageous you truly are, and I admire you for stepping up like you did. I'm really proud of you."

Ash's tone was so soft that caused May's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't even control herself as she wrapped the man up in what was becoming a familiar embrace for them both. She held him as tightly as she could, wanting to convey just how much she appreciated him simply being there for her.

If she was being honest, May wanted nothing more than to kiss Ash at this very moment, but she knew she couldn't do that. She'd truly meant it when she told her mother that she was going to take things slow. Her friendship with Ash was the most valuable thing in her life right now, and she didn't want to ruin it by forcing anything. So instead, she settled for this long, deep embrace, which she absolutely loved.

Ash felt all the gratefulness May was expressing in her hug as he embraced her in return. May's arms being wrapped around him had become something he enjoyed very much as it always indicated that he'd done something to help her. That and Ash simply just enjoyed May's embrace, though he wasn't quite sure why. He didn't question it though as the two stayed in this position for quite a while, almost forgetting that there were two others still in the room.

Both Brock and Alyssa simply smiled at the scene. They knew how much May cared for Ash and vice versa.

Noticing that their hug was lasting quite a long time, Alyssa decided to whisper to Brock. "May's a lucky girl."

Alyssa wasn't exactly jealous that May was so close with a guy like Ash, but she was definitely at least a bit envious. The bond the two clearly had was something that was extremely difficult to find, and Alyssa had yet to find a person she could connect with like that.

Despite this, she was very happy that these two had found each other and became such good friends. She truly wished them nothing but the best. Seeing them like this, Alyssa couldn't help that hope that one of these days, their friendship might possibly develop into something more. Even after only knowing them for a day, she could tell that they would be perfect together.

Brock smiled at Alyssa and nodded before whispering in response. "Ash is a lucky guy as well, even if he doesn't quite realize it yet."

Alyssa knew that Brock was very much correct in his statement. May, an incredibly beautiful and amazing girl, had feelings for him, even though Ash had no idea of this as of yet. Feelings that Brock knew were only growing stronger by the day.

Not wanting to be overheard, the two friends stopped their whispering once May and Ash broke apart from each other, sharing a smile as they did.

Now, May could finally say what she'd wanted to before. "I know you don't feel like I should have to thank you, but...thank you. I wasn't kidding when I said that I don't think I would've gone through with telling them had it not been for you. You helped me find my courage, and I can never thank you enough for that."

May spoke with a level of sincerity in her words that Ash had never heard before. He truly didn't think he'd done that much, but he knew he would never be able to change May's mind on this.

"You're welcome, May. Like I said before, you always had the courage inside of you. I'm just glad that I was able to help you find it. But I truly believe that you would've been able to tell them, even without me here." Ash spoke softly, noticing that May recoiled slightly at the mention of him not being here with her. Seeing this, Ash smiled and continued. "But we don't have to think about that, because I _am_ here."

May smiled joyfully at Ash's word and hugged the man again. This time, the embrace didn't last as long because now that she wasn't as overcome with emotion, she would've felt slightly embarrassed for holding onto him for as long as she had previously, even despite the fact that he clearly didn't mind, and even welcomed it.

Once the two broke apart for the second time, May and Ash finally faced the others in the room. Both were sending knowing smirks their way, causing May to blush and Ash to be slightly confused.

"Come on, Alyssa. Let's head up to my room." May said, still riding the high of everything she was feeling. She tugged Alyssa's arm, nearly dragging her away, which caused everyone to laugh. They made sure to say goodnight to the boys before they disappeared up the stairs.

The two men watched as their friends disappeared from view. Ash then took a seat on the couch that he would be sleeping on and let out a long breath.

"That was really stressful there for a second..." Ash revealed to Brock. "When Norman just got up and started walking away, I thought I'd been completely wrong about everything and he was mad at May."

Brock took a seat next to his brother in all but blood and smiled before responding.

"Yeah, I could tell you were pretty stressed there. You got really angry when you thought he was reacting that way. I was surprised that you actually yelled at Norman." Brock told Ash, whom laughed sheepishly in response.

"Hehe...yeah, I probably should've thought that through a bit before doing that. That could've made things a lot worse had this gone a different way. I'm just glad Norman didn't kill me after that." Ash laughed at his over exaggeration, with Brock doing the same.

The two quickly got over their chuckling and fell silent for a few moments. Brock then turned his head to face Ash before addressing him.

"You did a really good thing, Ash. May had to tell the truth to her parents and you gave her that last push she needed to be able to do so." Brock commended the man for his part in this.

t

"Thank you Brock, but I still don't feel like I really did anything. May gives me way too much credit. All I did was talk to her. She's the one who did all the hard stuff" Ash contested, wondering why everyone thought that he'd done so much when in reality, he'd hardly done anything.

Brock had a feeling this was how Ash was going to react, so he'd already formulated a response.

"But that's just it, Ash. There was no need for you to do all that much. Just talking to May and reassuring her was all that was needed. And it meant a lot more coming from you than it would've anyone else. You were really the only person who could've done what you did." Brock said to his best friend.

"Why do you say that?" Ash questioned, very curious as to exactly what he meant about him being the only person who could've helped.

"Well, the short answer is that May trusts you more than anyone else. The longer answer is that because of the deep bond you two have created with each other, your thoughts and opinions mean the world to her. So hearing you say that you believe in her and think that she's brave truly made her believe it because she knows you'd never lie to her. It'd be different if it was say, me who'd talked to her last night. While we are friends, the relationship you have with May is just...different. You guys have created a very special friendship and that's why May believes that you were the reason she was able to finally tell her parents the truth. And not only that, but that's why she credits you so much with other things as well." Brock finished, telling Ash what he knew to be true.

Ash sat in silence, taking in all of what Brock had to say. He was certainly right about how their relationship with each other was different than any other they'd ever experienced. They'd simply bonded deeply immediately, and that was something neither had experienced before meeting each other. Even with Brock and Misty, Ash didn't have the same level of connection, the same deep bond he did with May.

The more he thought about it, the more and more sense this explanation was making. Despite the limited amount of time they'd known each other, Ash was confident in saying that he truly knew who May was. He knew that what Brock had said was definitely something that May would believe. Plus, Ash also greatly respected what May had to say, more so than many others, so he could see where she would be coming from.

After a few moments of thinking, Ash slowly began nodding his head, accepting Brock's explanation.

"That makes sense. I can see that now. I just wish she would take some credit for herself. I mean, she's the one who actually had to go through with it.." Ash mentioned aloud.

"She _is_ taking credit for herself, it's just that in front of you, she wanted to express how thankful she was for what you did. She's definitely proud of herself, she just wants you in particular to know how appreciative she is for you." Brock informed his friend. "But either way, you did a good thing and May did a good thing. Now, this whole journey debacle is in the past and May can finally move forward."

Ash nodded his head, happy with everything Brock had explained for him. It made more sense now why May was quick to credit Ash with things she'd accomplished. And now that he had this realization, he was beginning to see himself possibly being the one crediting May for things in the future; heck in some respects, he'd already done this.

At this time, Brock was thinking about bringing up their travel plans. More specifically, if Ash was planning on asking May to travel with them. To him, it was obvious that they both wanted it very badly but as far as he knew, neither of them had brought it up even once. This managed to confuse him at first but after just a while, he thought that he'd figured out why, and it was more simple than he was making it out to be.

They were nervous.

With neither of them having said anything to each other about traveling together, both had serious doubts on the subject, even despite their extremely close friendship and love of being around each other. Plus, he was sure that there had to be other doubts and concerns going through their minds as well. And sometimes, even the simplest of things can make a person hesitate.

In the end, Brock made the decision not to bring up the topic. At least, not at this time. Ash had matured a great deal over their journey throughout the region of Kanto, but he definitely still showed immaturity in a lot of ways. While this was good for something things, such as keeping the child inside all of them alive, there were others where he would benefit from learning to be more serious and proactive.

And because they still had plenty of time left here at the Maple house, Brock was planning on using this as a way for Ash to man up and improve his maturity. He so obviously wanted May to travel with him and even if he didn't see it, May did as well. Brock wanted Ash to learn that he can't always be the one to help him see what he needs to do. That sometimes, he needs to make decisions and come to conclusions of his own. He had faith that Ash would eventually ask May to travel with them as he couldn't see him just walking away from the impossibly deep friendship that they'd formed.

That being said, should Ash fail this test and end up not asking May, and should May not ask him, which he found more likely, then he would step in and talk with Ash. Brock was planning to give him until tomorrow night before everyone went to bed to talk to May about it. He wanted to use this as a way for Ash to build his maturity, but he'd be damned if he let these two go their separate ways, especially so soon.

With them having finished up their conversation, Brock stood to his feet and stretched his arms high above his head.

He then turned his head to face Ash before addressing him. "Alright, I'm gonna head up to bed. Try not to wake up the whole house when you train tomorrow morning."

Ash chuckled at Brock's teasing before saying goodnight to his blood brother. When he was out of sight, Ash let out a content sigh, extremely happy with how everything had gone down on this day. He then stood up, grabbed what he needed and began getting ready to go to sleep.

Upstairs, May and Alyssa had already changed and done their nightly rituals by the time Brock and Ash were in the middle of their conversation. They both laid down in their respective spots, but kept the lamp, which was sitting on the bedside table, turned on.

"Thanks again for letting me stay with you, May. Pokemon Centers are nice and all, but nothing beats an actual house." Alyssa said, causing May to chortle.

"Of course! You're my friend now, so it's only natural you stay over sometimes, right?" May paused, allowing Alyssa to nod her head in agreement. "I'm just sorry we don't get to do more. Since I'm getting up so early tomorrow, I really need to get some sleep."

Alyssa waved off the apology immediately. "Please May, don't worry about it. It's not like this is the only time we'll ever see each other. I'm sure our paths will cross during our respective journeys."

May smiled toothlessly at her friend and nodded her head. May then went back to address what Alyssa had said before.

"So, what are the rooms at Pokemon Centers like?" May inquired curiously. She knew she was going to have to stay in them quite often while she traveled, so she was very curious.

"Oh that's right, you've never had to stay in one, have you? Well, they're pretty much what you'd expect. Have you ever stayed in a cheap hotel?" May nodded her head at Alyssa's questions, remembering a certain time in particular when they'd accidentally booked themselves at the wrong hotel. "It's kind of like that. They're always clean and fresh, but they only have the basics. A bathroom, beds. You know, the works. I'd say it's much, _much_ better than that cheep hotel I was talking about."

May used her description to form a picture of the room in her mind. She had an idea as to what it looked like, but she couldn't quite picture it clearly. She didn't dwell on this however, as she would almost certainly be staying in one sometime soon anyway.

Seeing that there was a break in conversation, Alyssa decided she wanted to change topics to something she'd wanted to talk more about all day. She smirked mischievously, which May noticed and became worried upon seeing.

"You know, they're a lot deeper than I thought..." Alyssa spoke cryptically.

Despite the implications Alyssa had intentionally thrown behind her words, May genuinely didn't know what she was talking about. Seeing her fellow brunette cock her head in confusion, Alyssa shook her head and smiled before elaborating.

"Your feelings for Ash. They're deeper than I first thought they were." Alyssa clarified.

May's eyes widened just slightly as she blushed a deep shade of red, still not all that comfortable talking about this as of yet. Seeing this made Alyssa giggle.

"I-I don't know what you mean. I'll admit, I do have a... crush on him, but that's it. I'm sure." May forced out, knowing she didn't sound very confident.

Alyssa couldn't help but laugh at May's failed attempt at denial. Seeing her friends reaction, it was clear that May knew she hadn't been convincing. Alyssa also knew that her friend wasn't going to say anything until she was called out on it.

"Oh come on, May. Sure, if I was just going off of what little you've told me and how you reacted when I asked about his relationship status, then I'd believe you. Those are both things that point to you having a simple crush on him. But after what I saw downstairs, I'm fairly confident in saying that its more than that." Alyssa told May, who sighed lightly in defeat.

"But how did you see that in me? I didn't think I did anything too out of the ordinary." May was curious as to what it was exactly that'd made Alyssa think this way. Plus to be honest, May wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling so if Alyssa could help her figure it out, then it would be more than welcomed.

"It's not really your fault, I'm just really good with this type of stuff. It's the way you look at him, the way you talk to him, how happy you are when you're around him, that stupid grin you can't control whenever he says something nice about you...it's all of these subtle things that tell me the whole story." Alyssa explained her rational to her newest friend.

May let out another sigh, deciding she should really open up right now, especially since she didn't know when she would get this opportunity again.

"To be perfectly honest...I'm not exactly sure what I'm feeling. I've never felt this way before, nothing even the slightest bit similar. All I'm sure of is that the way I feel about Ash is very, _very_ different than how I feel about anyone else I've ever met. And I just recently come to terms with the idea of me having a crush on him but now, that word just...doesn't seem to completely encompass what I'm feeling. I'm certain that it just not enough anymore..." May opened up, for the first time having a girl other than her mother to talk to. She realized that this was an invaluable opportunity to help get her mind right.

Seeing how sincere and serious May was being, Alyssa dropped her teasing demeanor and softened herself, ready to help and give her thoughts.

"Obviously, I can't tell you what you feel because in the end, they're _your_ feelings, but I can give you my thoughts if you'd like to hear them." Alyssa offered. Seeing May immediately nod her head, she continued. "From what I can tell, it's obviously that you have feeling far deeper than friendship for Ash. And the reason you feel like the word 'crush' doesn't fully convey what you're feeling is simple...It's because it doesn't. Now Obviously, I think we can both agree that it's not love. No matter how fast you guys connected, that takes time to build. That being said, you're definitely on that road..."

May's eyes widened as she took in what Alyssa was saying. She was almost certain that what she was feeling wasn't love as she didn't like to throw that word around lightly, but now that it had been said, she saw how it could be considered that she's on the way to finding that feeling for Ash down the line.

Seeing that she was too lost in thought to respond, Alyssa continued. "If you want my opinion, I truly believe that you're feelings right now are sitting somewhere just beyond the 'crush' level. And they're growing deeper and deeper the more time you spend with him."

May allowed herself time to think as Alyssa threw more into her mind.

May was now certain that she was feeling was more than a crush. And she was very confident that these feelings would continue to grow stronger and stronger the more time she spent with Ash; she had a very difficult time even imagining Ash doing something that could make her feel otherwise.

After a few minutes of thoughtful silence, May finally faced Alyssa again and spoke. "I think you're right. It's just a lot for me to take in, I guess. I mean, I never expected to even meet Ash that day, let alone this. It's just all so confusing..."

Alyssa smiled sympathetically at her friend before addressing her. "I know it can be confusing, but that's part of the fun. Discovering your feelings for someone is one of the best things in the world! Weren't you super happy when you realized that you liked Ash as more than a friend?"

May processed the questioned couldn't help but smile in response. "Yeah, I was. It was one of the best feelings in the world."

"And I'm sure now that you've accepted that your feelings are growing deeper and deeper by the day, you're feeling something at least kind of similar because you can't wait to see where this leads." Alyssa continued, imparting her 'wisdom'.

May's smile grew just a bit more a upon hearing this. Her heart was racing and all she could think about at the moment was Ash and all the things surrounding him. She was radiating excitement and positive energy.

May nodded her head before responding. "Yeah, I feel...excited. I'm excited to see where this goes. I'm also scared, but it's the good kind of scared, if that makes sense."

"I totally understand what you mean." Alyssa told May. "So my advice to you right now is this. Just let things progress naturally. And don't be afraid of what you're feeling, enjoy it! Caring for someone this way is one of the most amazing things in the world, and it's meant to be the most wonderful experience ever. So don't let fear or embarrassment hold you back. Embrace your feelings, don't try to force them away. And eventually, maybe even tell him how you feel..."

May smiled at her friends advice, finding it to be extremely helpful. "Thank you for the advice, it's really helpful. I'm not gonna rush anything and I'm going to take this whole thing slow, but I'm also going to enjoy what I'm feeling and let my feelings grow naturally, just like you said."

Alyssa smiled and nodded her head at her fellow brunette. "Perfect! Just do that and everything is going to be great. Besides, I think you and Ash will make the cutest couple ever!"

May couldn't help but smile brightly at the thought, but also 'shushed' her friend, telling her to keep her voice down as she'd gotten fairly loud with her squeal of excitement. The two then shared a giggle before falling into a comfortable silence.

May then smirked teasingly at her friend. "How did you get so knowledgeable about this type of stuff, Alyssa? Are you talking from experience?"

"Maybe..." Alyssa started cryptically, causing May to eye her curiously. "Okay...maybe not. I just watch a lot of romance movies."

Both girls laughed at this statement, very much enjoying each other's company.

"But seriously, I've never experienced anything even close to the kind of connection you have with Ash. You're really lucky to have found that connection so young, especially with someone like Ash." Alyssa said, turning back to the topic, though wanting to keep it lighthearted.

May smiled in response to her words, knowing just how lucky she was.

"I know. I never would've guessed me nearly falling off of a cliff would lead to such an amazing thing." May joked, causing both girls to chortle once again.

Alyssa then decided to continue, but wanted to preface what she was going to say so that it hopefully wouldn't set May off.

"Okay, please don't get jealous when I say this." Alyssa started toward her friend, with May knowing that this could only be going in one direction. "Ash is like, seriously the best. Obviously, you know him much better than I do but over the past year, I followed his career very closely. He's clearly an incredible person. And my god is he attractive! I mean come on, he's the total package!"

May, knowing that this was simply lighthearted conversation, simply chuckled at what her friend was saying as she nodded her head in agreement. She also decided that she should add a bit to the conversation.

Sometimes, she'd find herself just sitting around thinking to herself about all the great things Ash had done in his life. And with Brock having told her about some of his more extreme experiences, she knew more than the majority of the world. It would be hard not to often think about these adventures as many of the things Ash had experienced were better and more interesting than any movie, book, or TV show could ever hope to be.

Seeing May was lost in her thoughts, obviously thinking about the raven haired trainer, Alyssa smiled, happy for her friend. She then decided to bring up another thing she noticed during their short time together.

"He cares about you a lot, you know?" Alyssa's words snapped May back to reality, who proceeded to look at her friend so that she could continue. "Ash. He really cares about you. Just hearing your stories and seeing you guys interact with one another, it's incredibly obvious. It must be nice to know that he feels the connection too, if nothing else."

May smiled softly at her friends words, knowing just how true what she was saying was. Alyssa only knew what she'd seen and been told, which wasn't all that much, and had still come to this conclusion. Granted, she was probably more perceptive than most, but May still found it nice to hear someone else, other than themselves and Brock, say this.

"I know...He's done so much for me already. He doesn't realize just how much he's helped me. And I like to think that I've helped him a few times as well." May spoke, staring ahead into space.

"I'm sure you have. I know I haven't really seen it first hand but just from knowing the two of you, I'm sure that you help each other all the time and will continue to do so in the future. It's a two way street, it's just gotta be." Alyssa finished kindly, truly believing what she was saying.

May nodded at her friend, knowing that herself and Ash had already made a big impact on each others life. And if May got her way, they would continue to be there for each other for a long time to come.

At this time, May let out a quick yawn and stretched her arms high above her head. Seeing this, Alyssa readjusted herself as she knew it was becoming time to go to sleep for the night.

"We should probably get some sleep now. You have to leave early tomorrow and I have to be up at the crack of dawn." May stated. Despite the early time, she was incredibly excited to train with Ash in the morning.

Hearing this Alyssa sat up from her prone position and looked at her friend questioningly. "Why do you have to get up so early?"

"I'm gonna train with Ash tomorrow. He gets up everyday before the sun rises and works out himself and his pokemon for hours. I thought it would be cool to see what it's like. You know, get a good workout in, see what Ash does on a daily basis. I just think it''l be a really cool and fun experience." May explained happily, still bubbling at the thought of what was to come in what was really just a short number of hours.

Alyssa's eyes lit up when she fully processed May's words. She'd already been told that Ash trained hard, but this just reaffirmed it. She was shocked to hear that he got so early to do so however.

Alyssa then smirked as she thought about something. "You know, I had a pretty good feeling Ash worked out a lot..."

May chuckled at her friend and then matched her smirk as she continued for her. "Yeah...you should see him with his shirt off..."

Alyssa's eyes widened and blushed as she was forced to create a picture of Ash's shirtless form in her mind. She hadn't been expecting this kind of response from May, which made it all the more surprising. She got over this relatively quickly, just in time to see May chuckling. Alyssa couldn't help but laugh at this as well.

"What time do you have to get up to do this little 'training session' of yours?" Alyssa asked, curious as to if it would be some time close to when she would be waking up.

May thought back to what Ash had told her earlier in the day as to what time he wanted her awake and downstairs by. It didn't take long to remember as she was pumped to get going.

"I'm setting my alarm for 4:30. Ash said I need to be up downstairs and ready to go by 4:45 so we can start as quickly as possible." May revealed to her friend, who's eyes widened at her words.

"4;30?! Geez, I'm getting up at 6:00 and I thought that was early." Alyssa said with exasperation, hating even just the thought of waking up that early in the morning.

May chuckled at her fellow brunette's reaction. While May wasn't ever one to get up this early either, she would gladly do so in order to do something she was so excited for.

"That's perfect then! We should still be training when you're about to leave. Make sure to find us before you head off. I don't think we'll be too far." May reminded her friend, who nodded her head in agreement of her terms. "And do you want me to set a second alarm for 6? I only have one alarm clock obviously."

Alyssa shook her head at May's question, confusing the woman slightly. Seeing this, Alyssa spoke. "The pokedex has a built in alarm clock. I'm all set on mine."

At Alyssa's words, May instantly understood the situation. She was also surprised to hear that her pokedex could do other things rather than just scan pokemon. She thought that maybe she should go online at some point and try to find out more about the pokedex. Better yet, she could ask Ash or Brock, with the latter probably being a better choice for the topic, about the features of the device.

"That's good to know. And I'll make sure to turn my alarm off quickly so it hopefully doesn't wake you up." May said to her friend, who nodded in appreciation May then reached over to her bedside table and turned off the lamp, shrouding the room in darkness. "Goodnight, Alyssa."

"Goodnight, May." Alyssa responding, shifting just slightly to get into a more comfortable position.

The two girls weren't awake much longer. Alyssa's mind was filled with excitement, ready and roaring to get on her way in order to train for her rematch with Norman. These thoughts followed her all the way into her dreams.

May thoughts were on a similar path. She started off thinking about all that had happened today. All of the fun they'd had. All of the things they'd accomplished. She'd done it. She finally told her parents and now had their full support. Just this thought alone caused May to smile with her eyes closed as she was still trying to sleep.

But then, her mind shifted to the fact that in just two days, she would finally get the chance to leave on her journey, and with her parents' support no less. That being said, this journey would no longer mean anything to her if one particular thing didn't happen. After all this time together, she could _not_ part ways with Ash.

Just the thought of traveling alone was so depressing to her now, and she was wondering how she ever planned on doing as such when she first started thinking about this journey. But now that she had such great friends in Brock, and especially Ash, she would want nothing more than to travel alongside of them. Anything less, and he journey would mean nothing to her. She realized that without people to share it with, accomplishing her dream wouldn't mean anything.

And tomorrow night was when May would finally ask him if she could travel with him. She couldn't wait around for Ash to ask, she had to be proactive if she truly wanted this and if she was being honest, she wanted this more than anything else in the world. Of course, she was still slightly nervous, but she was also incredibly excited, confident that Ash would say yes to her request.

May's dreams were filled with ideas of all the grand adventures she would go on while on this journey. All the wonderful things she would see, all the people she would meet. And most importantly, the people she had by her side throughout it all. More specifically, the _person_ she had by her side.

And with all of these wonderful things in mind, May slept peacefully, the soft smile never once leaving her face for the entirety of the night.

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 **A/N: And there's chapter 19! I hope you all enjoyed it. And May finally reveals the truth to her parents. I got a review asking why this was such a big deal and why it was so hard to finally come clean. And to address that, I'll say this: the reason this is such a big deal is because of the relationship May has with her parents. They are a very close family, and usually tell each other everything. And because Norman had inadvertently been pushing May into battling much too hard, May got it in her mind that her wanting to do anything else wouldn't be accepted by her parents, and that fear is what held her back all this time. I hope that explains it!**

 **And I'd like to put this note here about the next chapter. Chapter 20 will be slightly different from any other chapter in the story thus far. The reason being is because it will explore the theme of sexual tension. With Ash and May being adults in this story, sexual tension and thoughts are common place and happen in most every romantic relationship. I just wanted to give a warning that the theme of sexual tension will be explored next chapter, but there will be nothing 'M' rated about it.**

 **Anyway, Ive rambled on long enough. Thanks for reading and please, PLEASE leave a review or shoot me a PM. The last few chapters have been kind of light on the reviews and I'd really like to see some more feedback. And to those that have reviewed, thank you so much. You're the reason I keep writing. See ya!**


	20. Training

**A/N: Okay so I just want to say this before the chapter starts...This chapter will include more more adult themes dealing with sexual things. That being said, the content still isn't M rated. It definitely still is rated T as all the "adult" content is in this case, is some sexual tension, nothing that could truly be considered rated M. Enjoy!**

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How to Change a Life

May's eyes shot open quickly as she heard the repetitive beeping sound emitting from her alarm clock. With her tired mind reminding her that there was another person in her room, still sleeping, May sat up and quickly hit the snooze button. She then turned the alarm setting off completely so that it wouldn't sound again a few minutes later.

May twisted her body and let her feet hang off the bed as she rubbed her eyes with her hands. She then let out a yawn and stretched her arms high above her head.

May felt as if she'd just gotten to sleep by the time her alarm started blaring. But that was to be expected almost every time she had to set an alarm for herself, no matter the time. May was definitely tired, but she knew that once she got up and moving around, she would wake up quickly.

Allowing herself a few moments to fully transition from being asleep to being awake, May remained in her current position. During this time, she looked over the side of her bed in order to check to see if her alarm had woken Alyssa up.

If it had, then she'd gone back to sleep immediately as her eyes were still closed, with her mouth slightly parted; her breathing pattern clearly indicated that she was in fact, asleep. May was glad that her friend wasn't awoken at this insanely early time when she didn't have to be.

May then decided that it was time to get ready. First she went off to the bathroom to brush her teeth and clean herself up a bit. She wasn't planning on taking a shower since she was just going to get all sweaty in just a few minutes anyway. Plus, she was usually one who took her showers in the evening, and she'd already done so the previous night; that being said, she was no stranger to taking multiple showers a day when she would workout.

May also brushed her hair for a while, really trying to get it perfect. She knew that she was going to workout, but she just couldn't help but want to look as good as possible. With her feelings for Ash, she couldn't help but want to look her best whenever he was around. May wanted him to really notice her, so that she wouldn't have to feel like she was the only one stealing glances all the time. Plus, she simply enjoyed looking good for herself as it made her more confident overall. If she was being honest, this really was more for herself than anyone else.

Once she was happy with what she'd done in the bathroom, she quietly made her way over to her closet so that she could pick out what she was going to wear. She was definitely going to get sweaty, so she instantly reached for some of her workout clothes.

Because it would surely be hot outside, even at this time in the morning, May decided to go for a pair of black shorts and a red tank top. The shorts weren't too short, but definitely weren't long either. And the tight red tank top she'd picked out showed off a good bit of her midriff, with the hem of the top ending a few inches above her belly button. This was an outfit she worked out in all the time, and it seemed perfect for the hot day.

May also decided to forgo her usual bandana as she typically would when she was going to exercise; she'd found that it would just get all sweaty, and there was really no reason for her to wear it when she was working out. She also quickly grabbed a sweatshirt and threw it on, feeling slightly cold from the air conditioning; she would take it off once they were outside.

May looked at herself one last time in the mirror, moving a few few strands of hair around, before leaving her room and quietly closing the door behind her. As she'd expected, the doors to every other room in the house were still closed, indicating that everyone was still asleep.

Though as she got closer to the staircase, she began hearing noises indicative of someone being downstairs. May smiled happily as it could only have been one person. She quickly made her way down the stairs and quietly moved into the kitchen.

May immediately noticed Ash, who appeared to be filling up big plastic bottles with water. She also noticed that his back was currently turned to her and it appeared that he hadn't heard her enter. She smirked deviously as an idea popped into her mind.

Before she could move forward however, her gaze locked with Pikachu's, whom was sitting on the island counter top, obviously meaning he'd seen her. Hoping to salvage the situation, May brought a finger to her lips and shushed the yellow pokemon. Pikachu smirked, having an idea as to what she was planning, and nodded his head, allowing her to move forward with her plan.

With that out of the way, May quietly tiptoed to Ash's position. He still had yet to turn his back and appeared distracted by what he was doing. It took a few moments, but May eventually came to a stop right behind the significantly taller man. Smirking to herself one more time, she reached her arms around his torso in a quick motion, making a small 'roar' sound in the process.

As she'd hoped, May felt Ash jump in her arms, obviously having not expected to be grabbed from behind. Quickly, he turned around, forcing May to retract her arms, which she couldn't help but admit saddened her slightly.

Ash instantly looked down into May's eyes, noticing the bright, innocent smile she was giving him. Seeing that May was the perpetrator behind this whole thing, Ash smiled as well and chuckled a bit while shaking his head.

He then let out an exaggerated breath and brought his right hand to his heart. "Geez May, you almost gave me a heat attack! Is that what you want!?"

May chortled at Ash's teasing before slapping him lightly on the arm. "Oh, don't be such a baby. I mean, how can you be scared of little ol' me...?"

May used the sweetest voice she could as she said the last part, also putting an incredibly adorable look on her face.

Ash raised an eyebrow at the woman in front of him, trying not to show just how cute he found her to be at the moment.

Seeing a chance to tease back, Ash shrugged his shoulders and put a bored look on his face. "I don't know...I guess you just have a scary face."

May opened her mouth, trying to feign offense, but couldn't help but also smile as she did so.

"Ash Ketchum, you take that back!" May demanded in a jokingly stern manner.

"Hey, you just asked a question, and I answered it. Nothing wrong with that." Ash shot back as the two gazed into each other's eyes, with May putting on a fake pouty face.

After a few moments, both parties broke out into laughter, loving that they could joke around like this with each other.

Once the laughter died down, Ash felt compelled to say something to May. "And you know I was just kidding, May. Your face isn't scary. Quite the opposite actually. You know how beautiful I think you are. How beautiful everyone thinks you are, really."

Ash made this comment almost offhandedly as he turned back around in order to finish filling up his water bottle.

Though should he have kept his gaze on May, he would've seen the massive blush and stupid grin that found its way onto her face. May just couldn't help it; she literally tried to force the smile away as to hide her over the top joy, but she physically couldn't. Ash was just so complimentary toward her and it made her fell amazing every time he would say something like this. Plus, she knew Ash would never lie to her or say something just to say it, so this meant that he truly felt this way, that he truly found her to be incredibly beautiful. Her heart was already pounding madly in her chest and they hadn't even begun their workout yet.

Ash was glad that he'd turned around when he did as the reality of what he'd just said hit him. He'd called May beautiful before without any issue, but saying it from so out of the blue in this moment embarrassed him a bit, causing color to spread across his cheeks.

Though by the time he finished filling up the last of the two water bottles, both himself and May had regained control of themselves. Ash then turned around, holding both of the large, full water bottles. He then handed the one in his left hand to May, who happily accepted it.

"I filled up this water bottle for you. And trust me, you're gonna thank me for it later." Ash teased, despite being completely serious about her needing it. With a workout as intense as Ash's was, sweating a lot was just part of the process; they had to make sure to constantly be hydrating, or else serious injuries and issues could occur.

"Thanks, Ash. So can we gonna get started now?!" May asked excitedly, causing Ash to chuckle at her excitement.

"I'm glad to see you're so awake this early in the morning." Ash joked. "And yeah, we can get going whenever. Just let me know and we'll head outside and get started."

May smiled happily and nodded her head, ready to get going. "Alright, let's go then!"

After May spoke, she began marching toward the door. Ash just looked at her in mild disbelief, laughing at how she was acting. Even he wasn't this chipper this early in the morning, and he was without a doubt a morning person.

May also found it strange just how awake she felt at the moment. Though, she quickly realized what made her feel this way. Obviously, she'd been excited for the training, which definitely helped, but there was another reason as well. As weird as it may be, just seeing Ash for the first time this morning woke her up a great deal.

Just the sight of him filled May up with an incredible amount of happiness and excitement, which was sure to wake anyone up. Plus, his earlier compliment of her had gotten her heat pumping incredibly fast, which always served to give a person a jolt of energy. All in all, May was feeling fantastic and was roaring and ready to go.

It didn't take long before the two were outside, already feeling the heat of the day. The sun still had entirely risen as of yet, so it was still slightly dark. That being said, the sun was just minutes from beginning to peak over the horizon, which would quite literally brighten their day tremendously.

"Alright, what's first!?" May questioned excitedly, ready to begin.

Ash couldn't help but chuckle once again at the brunette's eagerness. "Slow down, May. Before we can do anything, we have to stretch a little."

Stretching was something incredibly important for Ash to do as he'd found out the hard way that not doing so could lead to injury and/or sore muscles. With the length of time and frequency he trained, he needed to stretch his muscles before every work out so that they would become less worn throughout. Plus as stated before, it helped to prevent injury, which was always a plus.

May nodded her head at Ash's words as she walked to where Ash was standing near the patio table. Just as May reached where he was standing, Ash began taking off the light jacket that he was wearing; he must've felt the cold of the air conditioning as well, May guessed. Seeing Ash move to do this, she did the same.

Ash was wearing a light blue tank top that exposed his shoulders and arms. As May was in the process of taking her sweatshirt off, she couldn't help but pause what she was doing to admire the view. May'd now seen Ash's body a couple of times, but the sight of it still served to entice her even now. Even just the sight of his well defined arms were enough to nearly make her drool.

Though, she quickly shook herself out of it and continued pulling her sweatshirt over hear head. It was seconds before the sweatshirt was off, revealing her workout clothes to the world. Ash was now walking toward an open area before stopping and turning around, only to see that May had followed behind.

This was also the first time Ash got a good look of May in her workout clothes. Ash was taken aback by just how incredible May looked. Her flat midriff was partially exposed, and her tank top was skin tight, accentuating her very large assets. Ash almost got caught up in his stare before he forced himself to look away. He would not allow himself to be a lecherous person, especially to someone he cared so much about.

" _Was he... checking me out?"_ May thought with the biggest smile on her face. She knew he found her to be beautiful, but to know that she wasn't the only one stealing looks felt incredible to her, especially considering the frequency at which she would find herself simply staring at Ash. She'd been wanted Ash to look at her this way, and finally seeing him doing so, if only just once, was a fantastic feeling.

"Alright May, let's do some toe touches to start and we'll go from there." Ash told he brunette, who nodded happily in response.

The two then proceeded to do a good number of stretches, many of which May had never done before. One thing she found very cute was that Pikachu was doing all the stretches along with them.

At one point during their stretching, Ash noticed that May was doing one of the stretches in correctly.

"Hey May, do it like this." Ash stated, demonstrating the stretch.

May nodded and tried to follow what he was doing, but something about this particular stretch was difficult to understand completely. "Like this?"

Ash smiled at May's attempt to correct her position before approaching her. "Here, I'll just guide you."

With that said, Ash came up behind the girl and grabbed hold of both of her arms, putting them in proper position for the shoulder stretch. May felt her heartbeat quicken tenfold when Ash came up behind her. The two were in incredibly close proximity to each other, with Ash's front and May's back pressing up against each other. She silently enjoyed the man's touch as he positioned her to stretch properly. With his help, she was finally able to do the stretch correctly. Though, her mind was solely stuck on the fact that her and Ash touching front to back and not so much on the actual stretching...

After about 10 minutes, they finished up with stretching. Now that they were properly warmed up and loose, May was looking forward to whatever was to come next.

"Okay, I like to start out with cardio. It really gets the blood pumping for the other things we'll be doing." Ash explained to his best friend.

May was happy to comply, but felt there was something she needed to say. "Sounds good to me. But just so you know, there's no way I can run 12 miles. I have decent cardio, but running isn't exactly my strong suit."

May would run sometimes to stay in shape, but she often preferred other methods such as swimming or biking to increase her cardio. Because of her larger than average bosom, running was kind of difficult for her. Of course, she wasn't going to tell this to Ash; if she did, she might very well die of embarrassment for bringing up such a topic. That being said, she had on her best sports bra and knew that she would be fine with doing a couple of miles.

Ash chuckled at what May'd said, understanding where she was coming from. "Don't worry, we won't be going quite that far. I did say I was going to take it easy after all. Plus, I don't want to burn you out completely. I was thinking just a nice two mile run would be good for today. That way, we'll still have plenty of energy left to do the other workouts and for the rest of the day!"

May nodded happily at the man in front of her, happy to do a two mile run. She was also immensely glad that Ash was taking his recovery more seriously now and easing back into his normal routine. Even though he seemed to be completely fine, May still worried about Ash. But that's just the nature of caring about someone so much, she supposed.

"Alright, that sounds great! But how are you gonna know how far we've gone?" May inquired. Yesterday, Ash had simply ran to a landmark, having not calculated miles. So she was curious as to how Ash planned on mapping out a route that would have them run two miles.

"Easy. My pokedex has an application made for situations just like this. It's like a pedometer, but it also counts total distance travelled as well." Ash revealed to the brunette, who was amazed by just how much the pokedex could do. She would surely have to play around with hers later to find out what other applications it had.

"Alright then, lead the way, oh mighty sensei." May teased, putting her hands together and taking a bow.

Ash chuckled a the woman in front of him and decided to play along. Putting on his best old, wise man accent, her spoke. "My teachings will surely benefit you for centuries to come."

Upon hearing Ash's response, both friends began laughing heartily at their back and forth. Once they settled down, Ash finally said 'start' and stared running, with May and Pikachu by his side.

Having been doing this for over three years now, it was safe to say that Ash was a better runner than May. That being said, Ash noticed that May was definitely no slouch. And while he could've pulled ahead, he wanted to stick with May and keep her company; there was no point in trying to win as it wasn't a competition after all. They were out here, training _together_.

Both parties began breathing harder after they passed the one mile mark. May was still enjoying the exercise, especially since she was doing it with Ash, but running was never her favorite thing to do. That being said, she still felt very happy at the moment.

As they ran, Ash would look over at May every once in a while to make sure that she was doing alright. She was very obviously in great shape as evident by her figure, but he didn't know what level of cardio she had. He really didn't want her to push herself too hard. But Ash found that May was keeping up just fine, even running with a smile on her face.

When Ash would look at her, May would look back and meet his gaze, smiling at him jovially.

Once they were at a mile and a half, May slowed down a bit as she began to feel the fatigue that running always caused. Noticing this, Ash also slowed down and showered May with words of encouragement and praise for what she'd already accomplished.

With Ash reminded her that he believed in her, and that she should believe in herself as well, she felt herself gain another sudden burst of energy. A second wind, if you will. Because of this, May was able to start running harder once again, at a speed even faster than she had been before she became fatigued.

May very much appreciated the great amount of care and support Ash was showing her. She'd come to expect this from him so it didn't surprise her, but it still warmed her heart none the less; she knew that would never change. She would always feel warm when Ash would say these things to her.

As they were nearing the end of the run, making their way back to where they'd started, Ash decided to speak.

"Alright, we'll finish right up there. That tree marks just about two miles." Ash informed his friend, motioning with his arm to a distinct point in the Maple's yard.

May didn't respond verbally. Instead, she simply smirked as she formed an idea in her mind. Without warning, May shot forward, starting to sprint and create separation between herself and Ash.

Before Ash could even react, May looked back and shot the smirk on her face at him. "Race ya!"

Ash, having not been expecting this, continued at his pace for a few more moments before smirking in response and attempting to catch up to May.

"Hey, no fair! You could've told me _before_ you started sprinting ahead!" Ash joked, pretending to be upset.

Because they'd been so close to the end of their run and May had created so much separation, there was no way that Ash was going to be able to catch the young brunette, even despite Ash's superior running ability. That being said, Ash finished just a few seconds behind May. Pikachu had shot ahead of the both of them and finished before either Ash or May, but they weren't about to race with a pokemon, especially one who knew moves like Quick Attack and Agility.

After they finished, both stood, their hands on their knees as they tried to regain their breaths after going all out at the end there. Normally, this wouldn't have worn out so much, but he'd really given it his all at the end. And when he ran the 12 miles to Birch's lab the other day, there were a couple of times when he would slow to a walk and have to recapture his breath and stretch his legs for a moment. His conditioning was incredibly good, but he wasn't superhuman by any means, and running would always fatigue him at least some amount.

After just a few moments, the two began to breathe at least semi-normally again, with Ash recovering a bit faster than May due to his insane level of conditioning.

Despite him recovering first, May spoke before Ash did. "Looks like the great Ash Ketchum just lost to a girl."

May teased with a smirk on her face. She instantly noticed that Ash was smiling as well, shaking his head before responding.

"What can I say? Looks like cheaters always win!" Ash said to May, causing her to feign offense.

"I don't believe that is how you treat a winner, Mr. Ketchum. Or do you want to be known forever as a sore loser?" May continued with the teasing.

Ash sighed in mock annoyance. "You're right, oh great one. Looks like the student has now become the teacher."

After Ash used the voice he'd used earlier as a 'sensei', both Ash and May busted out laughing, with Pikachu even joining in. After a few moments, the two calmed down from their fit of laughter.

"You did really great, May! How did it feel?" Ash commended the brunette for her effort, happy that she was so enthused about working out with him.

May smiled brightly in response to Ash's question. "It felt great! I already feel like I accomplished something and the sun has just barely come up. It's a really good feeling!"

May truly had enjoyed the run, especially now that it was completed as she felt that she'd accomplished something already. The day was still so young and yet, she was already doing so much. She didn't think she'd be able to make this a regular thing, just for the sake of her sleep schedule, but she definitely wouldn't be opposed to doing this more in the future, especially since doing so with Ash was extremely fun and motivating.

"That's great to hear, May. That's a big reason why I like to work out in the morning. That feeling of accomplishment is a great way to start the day. Plus, working out so early gives me the rest of the day to do whatever I want!" Ash explained his rationale.

May nodded at Ash, acknowledging his words. The two then fell into a momentarily silence before it was broken by Ash.

"Come on, let's grab some water and we'll start in on some strength training." Ash suggested as he started walking toward the table that currently housed their water bottles. Pikachu's smaller bottle of water was also there.

May was more than happy to comply with the suggestion as she was feeling pretty thirsty at the moment. She was fairly sweaty after the run and would only become more so as they continued to work out, which meant she was losing water fairly quickly and she needed to replenish it. Ash was very obviously feeling the same way.

The two reached the table quickly, grabbing for their water bottles as they did so. Ash made sure to hand Pikachu his water bottle before claiming his own. After the two drank a good amount of water, they both let out a refreshing 'ahh' sound at the same time, causing them to giggle.

After he set his bottle down, Ash began fanning himself with his hand. Despite it being so early, it was already quite hot, even in a tank top.

"Geez, Hoenn sure is a warm region. The sun just barely came up and it's already scorching hot out." Ash spoke in slight exasperation. He'd experienced the heat yesterday, which was the reason why he'd taken off his shirt.

May chortled in response to Ash's complaint. As a native, she was more used to the heat than Ash was. That being said, she was definitely still feeling it at this moment, especially since they were pumping so much blood throughout their bodies right now as a result of their run.

"Well, Hoenn is considered a more tropical region. You should've expected the heat when you got here!" May scolding in a teasing tone.

"Remember when I said that I don't do much planning before I leave for my journeys? Well, that was very much the case here. I knew it would be warm, but not this warm!" Ash responded. Though, he knew he was over exaggerating. While he was feeling the heat, he supposed it wasn't _too_ hot, especially considering that the heat he was feeling was being supplemented immensely because of all the physical activity they were partaking in.

May simply chuckled once again and put her hands on her hips and yelled at Ash with a smile on her face. "Oh come on, Ash! Be a man!"

May's teasing caused Ash to scoff jokingly and cross his arms over his chest. "I am a man! And a manly man at that!"

May raised an eyebrow at her closest friend. "Is that so?"

May kept this look on Ash for a few moments before Ash sighed and dropped his arms to his side. "Okay, maybe not...But I am a man! I'm sure of that much!"

Both parties laughed at this once again.

"I'm glad you know what gender you are..." May said through her laughter.

"Whatever." Ash started, a smile remaining on his face. "Let's move on to strength training. Man, having a training partner sure does make me lose focus pretty easily."

Upon hearing the joking frustration in Ash's voice, May stuck her tongue out at the man. He quickly returned the gesture.

As he was still feeling very hot at the moment, Ash decided to take his shirt off. He'd told himself that he would try to keep it on as he didn't want May to feel uncomfortable, but it was just too hot for him to keep it on any longer. Plus, guys having their shirts off was very much acceptable, especially when exercising.

May watched as Ash pulled his sleeveless shirt up over his head, momentarily stunned by the action. Even though she'd thought that she'd gotten over the fact that she would freeze whenever she would look at Ash's shirtless form the previous day, it seemed that she still wasn't completely immune. Now, she was doubting she would ever be...

May admired the man for just a few moments. This was no where near the first time she'd seen Ash shirtless, but it still served to entice her greatly. She allowed herself a few moments to really take in all of Ash's incredibly defined and well sculpted body as he was pulling his shirt over his head, which prevented him from seeing her checking him out so obviously. May just couldn't help it. She'd never been so attracted to anyone in her life...

Once Ash took his shirt off all the way, May forced herself to look away, a light blush on her cheeks. Though, her face was already slightly red from running, so it would be unnoticeable to Ash. May couldn't help but feel like it was even hotter than before, as if the temperature had gone up 20 degrees or something. Though, she very much knew the root cause of this reaction.

As May was looking off to the side as to avoid embarrassment, Ash couldn't help but admire May's figure as well. In the early morning sun, her slightly tanned skin was quite literally glistening. This effect was caused by her being slightly wet from the light amount of sweat that'd formed on her. He was mesmerized by her toned midriff and soon, his eyes made their way upwards to her chest, where her tight top allowed him to see a bit of cleavage.

But most importantly to him, he was able to drink in the sight of her face. She was still looking off to the side, a timid look on her face that, in Ash's opinion, made he look absolutely adorable. She was just such a beautiful girl, Ash just couldn't help but stare sometimes, even if it was against his morals to do as such.

Physical attraction to others was normal after all, especially at the age Ash and May were. This made Ash feel slightly better about the whole situation, but he just couldn't shake the slightly shameful feeling that came along with this. That being said, he simply enjoyed the sight too much to care sometimes.

Quickly, Ash shook himself out of his thoughts and went slightly red himself. He'd never been like this around other women; his self control was always top notch when it came tot his kind of stuff. That being said, May just seemed to bring something out within him that made his willpower break every once in a while.

Luckily for Ash, he managed to tear his eyes away from May before she looked back at him with a smile, having recovered from earlier. Ash had also recovered. He quickly wiped his face with his shirt, rubbing the sweat off of it.

Ash then held his balled up shirt out toward May. "You want to wipe your face?"

It was clear to see that Ash was just teasing, so May responding in kind. "Uhh...I think I'm okay for now..."

With that said, the two chortled once again before they finally made their way over to the more open area of the yard in order to start their strength training.

"Okay, so I like to keep things pretty basic with my strength training. I usually starts out with a bunch of ab exercises, then I move over to more endurance based workouts such as burpees and mountain climbers. And I like to end things with some good ol' fashioned push ups." Ash explained to May.

May, who was very happy to continue with the training, nodded her head at Ash's words, ready to go along with his program.

Ash then sat down, with May following his lead, and started off with simple crunches. They then moved on to do 9 other ab exercises, which May noticed managed to work every part of her abs. With this routine, she could easily see why Ash had the incredible core he did. As she thought about this she couldn't help but look over at Ash once again and admire his form in motion. But she quickly snapped herself out of it, not wanting to get too distracted and have it impact her performance.

Once they were done with their ab routine, the two moved on to the more endurance filled portion of the schedule. When this was completed, both Ash and May were pretty sweaty, but neither minded whatsoever as this was to be expected when exercising so vigorously. Being sweaty meant that they were working hard, and they were both proud of that fact.

Whilst catching their breaths a couple of minutes after their last set, another figure entered the area. From the house came Alyssa, whom was completely dressed and had all of her belongings with her.

Alyssa scanned the yard for a moment, her eyes landing Ash and May very quickly. She immediately smiled and rushed over to them.

"May! Ash!" Alyssa called as she approached the duo. Hearing her yell out, the two turned around, smiling as their friend came into view.

When Alyssa was about 10 feet away, she stopped suddenly and her eyes widened slightly. Both Ash and May were very confused as to what their newest friend was doing and why she'd stopped so suddenly.

Though, once May realized where Alyssa was looking, she understood what'd made her freeze. After all, the sight had made her do the same on multiple occasions. Ash blushed as he realized the reason a few moments after May, who was smirking at the discovery.

"You should really think about becoming a hypnotist, Ash. Just take your shirt off and bam, you got 'em!"

May teased Ash, who stuck out his tongue at her in response. They then looked back to Alyssa, who was still staring at Ash's shirtless form. May really didn't feel an jealousy over Alyssa's stare and she understood that she was simply admiring Ash's form. Though, her stare was starting to go on a bit too long for her liking...

Seeing she still wasn't moving, May approached her friend. Once she was close enough, she leaned in and whispered into Alyssa's ear.

"I did say you should see him shirtless..." May teased, recalling what she'd said the night before. This sentence seemed to break Alyssa out of her stupor as she shook her head slightly in order to regain her composure.

And while she was no longer frozen, she was now dealing with a very red face upon realizing what she was just doing. Her reaction was hilarious to both May and Ash, who couldn't help but laugh at their friend.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up..." Alyssa feigned offense, being one who was more than okay with making fun of herself.

The laughter died down just a few moments later as Alyssa approached Ash closer and May regained her previous position next to the raven haired trainer.

Alyssa was always a pretty confident person, which was why she was so comfortable in saying what she said next.

She gave Ash another look up and down, no longer frozen by the sight, smiling in satisfaction all the while. Ash blushed once again at all the attention he was getting while May actually began to feel a bit of jealousy over her checking Ash out so directly.

Alyssa then locked eyes with the taller man. "You know Ash, if this whole pokemon thing doesn't work out, you might wanna give modeling a try."

Alyssa was mostly teasing, but she truly did believe Ash was more than good looking enough to be successful at the aforementioned job.

Ash, who's blush still hadn't gone away from before, chuckled uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his head.

"Um...thanks...I guess. But this pokemon thing _is_ gonna work out. I've never loved anything more than I do pokemon." Ash finished with conviction after starting off timidly.

Alyssa chortled at Ash's response and went to slap the top of his arm teasingly. Though, she didn't pull her arm back immediately. Instead, she grabbed the very top of his arm, his deltoid. "Oh, I'm only kidding, Ash. I know that you're definitely gonna reach your goal one day!"

Ash smiled and agreed with his newest friend. All the while, May was not liking the fact that Alyssa was touching Ash the way she was. For all intensive purposes, she was really just feeling up his arm. Once she finished speaking, May moved over, forcing a smile as well, and grabbed Alyssa's arm with her own, pulling the woman's hand off of Ash.

"And I know that you're definitely gonna reach your goal too, Alyssa!" May spoke, forcing out as much happiness as she could. All the while, she shot a small glare Alyssa's way.

Alyssa reacted with a chuckle, her plan having worked to perfection. Once she'd started laughing, May realized that she'd been messing with her, which caused any and all anger and jealousy to leave her body as she began to chuckle as well.

Alyssa then took a moment to look at May, even giving her a once over. Se let an impressed expression come across your face.

"You know, I think you should give modeling a try as well, May. I would I would kill for a body like yours." Alyssa spoke, almost longingly. May chuckled, but also very much appreciated the compliment. She'd always made an effort to take care of her body, and she was very much proud of it. Plus, she was also very happy with what genetics had provided for her.

That being said, May was still a fairly modest person and blushed just slightly at her friend's words. She also didn't quite know how to respond.

Though, it seemed she wouldn't have to as Alyssa approached her closer, staring down at a particular area. May noticed this and became confused over what she was doing.

"I mean damn, look at these big things! What cup size you rockin', May?" Alyssa asked shamelessly, all the while reaching forward and grabbing May's breasts.

May immediately went beet red at what Alyssa had said and was doing as she pushed Alyssa's hands off of her, incredibly embarrassed. "Alyssa!"

It appeared that Alyssa didn't see anything wrong with what she'd done. "Oh relax, we're both girls here."

"Yeah, but he's not!" May motioned toward Ash, causing the two to look his way.

Ash was standing slightly away from the two, with Pikachu by his feet, with his hands up in defense. "Hey, you guys do what you gotta do. I can look away if you wa-"

"No Ash, it's fine. And besides, Alyssa is _not_ going to be doing that again. Right, Alyssa?" May questioned sternly.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I won't do it again." Alyssa relented, chuckling slightly. "I was just trying to compliment you."

Knowing her apology was sincere, May smiled and was now able to accept what she'd said as some strange sort of compliment. That is, after she forced the thought of Ash seeing her breasts being squeezed by their friend from her mind.

Though, May couldn't help but think that Ash would be the first and only person she _really_ wouldn't mind staring at her chest...

"Well...thank you, I think. You're pretty brash, you know that?" May questioned jokingly after getting over her last thought.

"Yeah, you're not the first person to tell me that." Alyssa responded, causing Ash and May to laugh.

The three then fell into a momentary silence. With nothing else to really talk about, Alyssa decided she should be leaving now.

"Well, I'm gonna get going." Alyssa said, a bit of sadness noticeably creeping into her voice.

Alyssa gaze dropped to the ground, slightly sad that she was splitting up with her friends. But she promised herself she was going to travel her first journey alone. And besides, she already had four gym badges so she'd be way ahead of Ash should she travel with him and May, which would definitely slow them down. They were simply going in different directions right now and she couldn't ask to join them.

"Hey." May started, beating Ash to the punch. "This isn't goodbye forever. It's just goodbye for now. A see you later. Like you said last night, our paths _will_ cross again during our journeys. Because friends always find their way back to each other, I'm sure of it."

May finished softly, hoping her words helped reassure Alyssa. Sure, she was going to miss her too, but they'd only just become friends and they'd have plenty of time in the future to continue being as such once they met again.

Alyssa looked May in the eye as she spoke, a smile forming on her face all the while. "You're right, May. Thank you."

"And, Ash." Alyssa turned her attention toward the man, whom locked eyes with her as she did so. "Meeting you was one of the coolest moments of my career, my life even! To have been a fan of yours, getting to meet you and to become your friend is like a dream. And you've shattered every expectation I had as to what kind of person you were. You're a great man Ash. And an amazing friend."

Ash smiled softly at the woman's words, very much appreciating the kind words. May was also very happy that Alyssa thought so highly of Ash; she really wanted everyone to know just how great he truly was.

"Thank you, Alyssa. That really means a lot to me. And I'm so honored that I was able to inspire you. You've proven yourself to be a good person and an incredible friend as well." Ash complimented, causing Alyssa to smile. "And if not before, then I'll see you at the Hoenn League!"

Both Alyssa and May chuckled at how excited Ash got at even just a passing mention of the Hoenn League. Though they couldn't judge too much, especially Alyssa as she also felt some excitement build up inside of her at the mention of the tournament.

The two were then about to hug goodbye, only for Ash to put out his hand, indicating for her to stop. "Hold on one second. Let me just throw my shirt on so I don't get you all sweaty."

Alyssa immediately understood why Ash'd stopped her and appreciated it greatly; getting someone else's sweat on you wasn't something that was ever exactly pleasant.

It only took a few seconds for Ash to run over to the patio table and put on his shirt. He then returned and hugged the shorter girl for a few moments. They then broke apart and smiled at each other once more, nodding as they did so. Ash then removed his shirt one again, sill uncomfortable with it on in the Hoenn heat, even despite the fact that it had no sleeves.

Alyssa then reached down and told Pikachu goodbye, rubbing behind his ears all the while.

Ash stepped away a few feet so that Alyssa could say her goodbyes with May.

"Thank you for inviting me into your life, May. I'm really glad that I got the chance to become your friend. You're pretty awesome, if I do say so myself." Alyssa mentioned, causing May to chuckle.

"You never have to thank me for that . I'm just as glad as you are that we were able to become friends. And I can't wait until we get the chance to see each other again!" May finished happily.

As she finished, the two reached in to hug each other good bye. Since May didn't have just a regular shirt to put on, Alyssa simply accepted the fact that she'd get some sweat on her. Though after all the standing around, a lot of it had evaporated off of May anyway.

The two hugged for a few moments. Before pulling apart, Alyssa whispered quietly into May's ear. "Good luck with Ash. You really picked a good one..." Alyssa almost sounded as if she was speaking longingly, but May didn't dwell on that whatsoever. I'm completely serious when I say that you two will make the best couple ever... I'll be rooting for you."

Alyssa was speaking as if the two of them getting together was a sure thing, which May was very much happy with even despite the fact that it was certainly not as such. As the two pulled away, May nodded and smiled, acknowledging her friend's quiet words. She certainly had a big crush on Ash, and she truly did hope she'd one day be able to find the courage to tell him and see where a relationship between the two of them would go.

With all the goodbyes having been said, Alyssa shot the duo one last smile before she began trekking to the next town.

May, Ash and Pikachu all watched until Alyssa was out of sight. The two were very happy with the time they got to spend with their newest friend, and were excited for when they would get to see her again in the future.

"That was really nice, what you said to her. How you reassured her that this wasn't goodbye." Ash complimented softly, with both himself and May still looking in the direction that Alyssa had walked off in.

May smiled immediately at Ash's words, looking toward him. Ash met her gaze before she spoke. "I like to think I've picked up a thing or two from you in terms of respect and how to comfort someone."

Ash chortled at Mays words, realizing that what she'd said very much seemed like something he would've. Ash was proud of May for being able to do such a good job at helping her newest friend.

Now that Alyssa had left, the two decided to move on to what would be their final workout of the morning, pushups. When Ash told May that this was what they were going to be doing, she got on her knees, ready to start the set.

May was surprised to see Ash stand up, and walk toward a large tree in her yard rather than mimicking what she'd done.

"What are you doing, Ash?" May questioned in confusion, having no idea what was doing.

Ash simply turned his head and smirked in response as he proceeded with what he was doing. Once he reached the tree, Ash got himself into a handstand, with him using the tree so that he wouldn't have to focus much on keeping himself upright whilst doing what he was planning on doing.

May watched intently as Ash began to rep out what appeared to be handstand pushups. She was both intrigued and impressed by the man's ability and ingenuity. After he'd done 10, he fell back and regained his footing. He then shook out his arms, his shoulders feeling the burn caused by the repetitive motion.

"Ah, that's always a great exercise!" Ash said offhandedly.

Upon hearing Ash's words, May crossed her arms and pouted teasingly. "Show off..."

"Come on May, it's your turn!" Ash spoke excitedly.

May simply looked at the boy incredulously in response. "Yeah...there's no way I can do that."

Ash chuckled in response, with both parties having fun teasing one another as always. Ash seemed to accept what May'd said and returned to where she was kneeling, taking a similar position himself. He really wasn't one to ever be flashy, but he kind of wanted to show off to May for some reason even he wasn't entirely sure of. And although he may not have known it, May was more than impressed with his ability.

"Okay, okay. How about we just do some regular pushups then?" Ash questioned rhetorically. Seeing May nod in response, Ash got down into position with May following suit soon after. "Okay for these I like to go all the way to failure. You good with that?

"Yep!" May responded, excited to finish the workout strong.

'"Okay, on three. One...two...three!" When Ash said 'three, the two of them began doing their pushups. Ash was moving his body very quickly up and down. May was also moving very well, proving just how in shape she actually was. Despite her slim figure, she was also very obviously a strong woman.

May surprised herself as she reached all the way to 50 pushup before failing. Of course, her last few pushups had been slightly sloppy as her arms got incredibly sore and tired, but they still counted none the less. Overall, she was very happy with her performance.

When she finished and sat on her knees, regaining her breath, she noticed that Ash was still going strong. He'd slowed down a bit since he started, but he was still going at an even pace. She could hear him grunting out the number he was on and discovered he was already at 100 and counting. Again, May was incredibly impressed with his strength and stamina. Though, she wasn't sure why she was surprised after all she'd seen the man do up to this point.

As he continued on, May stood to her feet, having regained her breath as she kept her eyes on Ash. Now that she was looking from above, she immediately noticed the massive scar running down his back, all the way from his shoulder blade down to his hip.

After having not seen the injury since before the stitches had been removed, it was a bit of a shock to her. Her hand shot to cover her mouth as she took in the sheer size of the scar. She'd managed to push past all of the horrible things that'd happened a while ago, only focusing on the good. But seeing this reminded her of everything, and more of the bad than the good.

Ash finally failed once he hit 150 pushups. Though he was very satisfied with himself for reaching this number; his goal was always to beat the number he got to last time, and he'd done just that by getting to 150rather than last time's 148.

Ash stood to his feet, breathing heavily as he turned to look to May. Immediately, he noticed that she'd been staring at his back as her eyes were still locked on him. He also saw that her face was contorted in sadness and he was confused as to exactly why this was.

But all at once, it hit him.

He realized that she must've been staring at the long scar on his back. The scar he'd been given by the traumatic event that'd happened a few weeks ago. Ash knew that the scar represented many things, with one of those things being all of the hardships and pain everyone had gone through during that terrible week. And it seemed that this was how May was seeing it at the moment.

"May?" Ash said her name, hoping to snap her out of her stupor. Luckily for him, it worked as she raised her eyes to meet his gaze. Ash then shot her a comforting smile. "It's okay. _I'm_ okay. All of that, all of the bad things that happened, it's in the past. Sure I've got a little scar, but who cares? I think it looks cool! And you know what? This scar also symbolizes all of the _good_ things that happened over the past few weeks. Because had none of this ever happened, we never would've gotten the chance to be as close as we are now."

"So there's no need to be sad, May. Because I'm right here with you. And I'm not going anywhere." Ash finished, the comforting smile never once leaving his face.

May knew that she was being silly. That she shouldn't have been feeling any sadness over what'd happened anymore. It was all in the past and now, there was nothing but good things that'd come from it at this point. That being said, she was glad that Ash was there to remind her of that once again.

May smiled softly at Ash and moved forward to hug him. Though as she did, Ash. "But I'm all sweaty, May."

May simply smiled in response as she continued moving in for the embrace. "I don't care."

With that said, May embraced the taller man, not caring one bit that he was very sweaty. She was sweaty as well after all, and it seemed that Ash didn't mind this either. He simply smiled softly and returned the hug happily.

They stayed like this for a few moments before breaking apart. When they did, May realized that she just hugged Ash shirtless form and had more or less just felt up his back muscles. This thought normally would've caused her to blush but for some reason this time, it only caused her to smile widely, unable to force it away.

"I'm glad you now know that you never have to feel bad about anything that went down. Everything happens for a reason, and this was just one of those things that had to happen in order for us to gain something amazing." Ash finished.

May kept up her smile as she knew that the 'amazing' thing Ash was referring to was her and the friendship they'd built together. Maybe this _was_ all supposed to happen. Maybe this was how things were always destined to be...

As the two fell into a comfortable silence, Ash began stretching out his chest by swinging his arms, which were each bent at a 90 degree angle, back and forth. He'd just done a lot of pushups, and he needed to try to stay loose in order to do it again.

After a few moments of doing this, Ash looked to May who only just now was able to lower her bright smile. "Alright, ready for round two?"

May's eyes widened at Ash's words. "Round two? I thought we were done?"

Ash chuckled at May's expression as he shook his head. "Not quite. For the second, and final set, I just like to do 25 pushups as quick as I can. You think you can handle that?

May's arms weren't quite sore as of yet due to the adrenaline the workout was providing her with, but she knew they would be at the very least slightly so later in the day. That being said, she felt that she could crank out another 25 pushups. And if this was what Ash was going to be doing, then she would do it too.

Seeing May smile and nod, the two got down into pushup position. They then went on to rep out the 25 pushups, with both exhibiting pretty impressive speed.

This was actually something Ash had never done before. Typically when he would work out when at full strength, he would simply do another set to failure. But because he was supposed to be taking it at least somewhat easy, he decided that this would be something fun to finish the workout with.

While both put on a good showing, Ash finished first by a fair amount. He was then able to watch May finish up, showering her with words of encouragement all the while.

She finished just about 5 seconds after Ash did, sitting on her knees once she was done, just as Ash was, as they both regained their breaths.

As then shot May a smile and addressed her. "Well, that's the end of the workout! Normally, at this point I'd do move training with Pikachu next but I think we're gonna take a break from that today. You did great, May. You really impressed me."

May smiled excitedly, both proud of herself for pushing herself so hard and for having impressed Ash, especially at something he was so good at. And while the workout was done, May'd started thinking about something she'd seen on some fitness TV show a while back as she finished up her 25 pushups. A test of strength for Ash, if you will.

Genuinely curious as to if he could do what she was thinking, May decided to ask. "Hey, do you think you could do a pushup with me on your back?"

Upon hearing her question, Ash raised an eyebrow. This reaction caused May to chuckle and eventually settle on a smirk.

"What...afraid you can't do it...?" May teased, egging him on.

Ash simply looked at May and smirked competitively. "Alright, let's try it."

With that said, Ash got on his hands and knees and May stood to her feet, approaching Ash closer.

"How are we gonna do this?" Ash questioned, curious as to how May would be able to put her weight on him without losing her balance and falling off.

May wasn't exactly sure as she couldn't quite remember how they'd done it in the show she'd watched long ago. Eventually, she decided that trial and error was simply the best option right now.

"I guess I'll try sitting on your back and we'll see if that works." May said earning a nod, along with words of agreement from Ash.

Ash proceeded to get up into pushup position, which indicated that May should now get on. She sat close to the middle of his back but as Ash started to go down for the first rep, May lost her balance and toppled off of him. Luckily, she managed to catch herself and land on one foot and one knee.

Ash was looking back, realizing this method hadn't worked. He locked eyes with May before the two burst into laughter. That was most definitely a fail. That being said, the both of them were now more than determined to get this done and see if Ash would actually be able to accomplish this task.

Just then, an idea popped into Ash's head. "What if you lay on top of my back face first and wrap your arms around my torso to hold on?"

May thought about the suggestion and found it to be a pretty good idea. Though a few moments later, she realized just what kind of position that would put them in. May would basically be feeling Ash up and certain parts of May would be pressing into his back. Though, she knew this wasn't Ash's play. He simply wanted to prove that he could do this, and thought that this was a good position to do it in. Plus, she had no room to argue as she was the one who'd brought up this topic in the first place.

And to be honest, May really didn't mind being in this position. In fact now that it was in her head, she was kind of looking forward to it...

May pushed aside the embarrassment she was feeling before agreeing. "Okay, that sounds like a good idea."

With that said, May stood to her feet and prepared to lay herself on Ash's back. She tried to position herself perfectly so that she wouldn't have to adjust too much while she was laying on top of him. Just a few moments later, she got into position on Ash's back, her arms wrapping around his torso.

May had her hands open rather than being connected together, with her palms resting on Ash's upper abs. Immediately, her eyes widened and she couldn't help but allow her to feel Ash's stomach along with his lower chest as well, the defined edges to each ab being very easy to feel. As she did this discretely, her mind nearly went blank as she was so mesmerized with what she was feeling. Without her even knowing, she'd seemingly lost her breath as she'd nearly began panting.

" _My god..."_ May was having a very hard time thinking clearly at the moment.

While this was going on, Ash also couldn't help but start thinking about something other than pushups. He hadn't really put all that much thought into what kind of position his suggestion would put them in and now, he was finding out what he hadn't realized when he first offered this solution.

As she lay atop of him, May's chest was very much pressing into his back. And Alyssa had said it best when she used the word 'big' as a description. Ash would've been lying if he said that he wasn't very much enjoying the feeling of this, along with May's hot breath hitting the back of his neck. He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't even take notice of the fact that May was basically feeling him up.

After a few moments, Ash tried his best to push these thoughts aside and refocus on the task at hand. He genuinely was curious as to if he could do this and since May'd brought it up, he wanted to prove to her that he could do this.

"O-Okay, May. I'm gonna start, so hold on." Ash told the woman so that she could brace herself and not lose her balance.

Ash's voice seemed to snap May out of her thoughts, causing her to go redder than she ever had before as she realized what she'd just been doing and thinking about. She quickly tried to recover, unable to believe that she'd completely lost control over her entire being.

May regained her breath, which she'd just realized she'd lost, before speaking. "S-Sure thing, Ash. Go for it!"

Now, both parties were once again entirely focused on the task at hand. After May spoke, Ash wen't down and to his own and May's slight surprise, came right back up. He then preceded to try again, succeeding that time as well. He then managed to crank out two more on admittedly very shaky arms, running off of pure determination and adrenaline before collapsing, with May still on top of him.

Ash was breathing very hard and his arms were burning like hell, but he was very happy that he'd managed to accomplish this.

As soon as he collapsed, May moved to get off of him and regained her footing. Ash stayed in his prone position for a few moments in order to further regain his breath before he finally popped up to his feet.

Even as he stood, he was still breathing heavily and his face was covered in sweat; that was much harder than he'd expected.

"Told you I could do it!" Ash shot to May triumphantly.

May simply crossed her arms over her chest and looked away pompously, though a smirk was still plastered on his face. "I guess you did okay. But you did only get four..."

Ash deadpanned at May's teasing before they both chuckled.

"So we're done now? Nothing else?" May questioned, kind of hoping that the workout was over. While she'd had a great time, she was beginning to feel slightly fatigued and tired. That being said, that last event was definitely something fun to end on.

Ash nodded his head. "Yeah, that's all for today. You did really great today, May. I'm very impressed with how well you were able to handle yourself. That was no easy workout."

May smiled at Ash's compliment. "Thanks, Ash. But that was definitely one of, if not the most intense workouts I've ever done. You really are a crazy person, you know that, right?"

Ash giggled at May's words before nodding his head. "Yeah, so I've been told."

The two, plus Pikachu, then decided to go back inside, grabbing their water bottles and Ash's shirt before they did so. As they entered the house, they both noticed that it was about 6:45am, still very early by anyone's standards.

May'd actually forgotten just how early it actually was during the workout as because her blood was pumping and her adrenaline was so high, she felt as awake as she would during midday. Though now that the adrenaline had worn off, she was definitely feeling tired.

With this in mind, May turned to address Ash. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Then I'm probably gonna try to sleep for a couple of hours. This workout really wore me out."

Ash nodded at the brunette's words. "Sounds good. After I take a shower, I actually might try to get an hour or so of sleep as well. I don't normally go back to sleep after training, but I think I'm gonna spoil myself today."

May chuckled at Ash before she walked up the stairs and into her room, going to clean herself off and rest up.

Ash smiled and took a deep breath, happy with the day's workout. He then looked down at Pikachu, who met his gaze in return. The two simply smiled at each other before Ash moved to the bathroom in order to shower.

* * *

 **A/N: Well...that was the most sexualized scene you'll probably ever see from me. You won't be seeing lemons from me. At least, in this story. Though I guess I should say this hear since it kind of fits the theme. While I will not be adding lemons to the stories, there is a good possibility for implied sexual encounters. Let's just say you'll know when something is going down lol.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. And I know, the scenario near the end is outlandish and damn near ridiculous but hey, there's a place for that every once in a while lol.**

 **And now, I've got some troubling news. So, I said that I had about 200,000 words of the story written when in actuality, it was closer to 240,000 words. Now this sounds like a good thing, right? Well for some reason, the files for chapters 21-24 were corrupted and I lost all of that work. If this has ever happened to any of you out there, you know just how awful a feeling it is. All of that hard work, gone. That being said, I don't have chapter 21 ready to go up as of yet. I've already started re-writing all of the chapters and chapter 21 shouldn't take long at all for me to finish (before next Tuesday or so). This means I'm going to have to write chapters 22-24 all over again, so the time between uploads won't be as frequent. I'll do the best I can to get one out a week until I reach my planned stopping point. I just wanted to let you guys know. And hey, how many writers do you guys know that would post over 200,000 words, 20 chapters of a story with only 1-3 days in between. I'm happy I got to spoil you guys for a while there.**

 **Now on to better news. We're getting very close to the start of the journey. And I just would like to reiterate her what I said in the very first chapter. Once I reach the point where they are just starting their journey, this story will be put on hold for a while so that I can refocus on "Facade" and "A Trial of Will". I've kind of been neglecting these two stories and there is so much more story to tell in both of them (I'm especially excited for Facade as a big change is coming very soon). So if you enjoy my writing style/story telling style, then I'd highly recommend checking out my other two stories (as well as my oneshot).**

 **One another note, it looks like Serena won't be joining Ash in Alola, which is depressing in its own right. I know this story is advanceshipping, but amourshipping is up there as one of my favorite shippings. It's a sad day for everyone who is a fan of that ship but hey, it will never die as long as we have fanfiction. I think the fact that there are still so many advanceshipping and pearlshipping fics being posted proves just that.**

 **Anyway, reviews are going to mean more than ever now considering that I need motivation to rewrite all of the lost material. Please, follow, favorite and review. And hey, maybe tell a friend to come check out the story, maybe they'll enjoy it! Thank you guys so much for all the support. See ya!**


	21. Reward

How to Change a Life

When May awoke, it was about 9:30am. She really hadn't meant to sleep this long, but the training session must've worn her out even more than she'd originally thought. Quickly, she got dressed and brushed her hair before putting on her signature bandana, having already showered right after the workout.

May then made her way downstairs, her stomach grumbling. She really hoped there was still some food left as everyone in her family was quite the early riser. Breakfast usually took place in her household at 8:30am, so she was an hour late.

When she entered the kitchen, May noticed that everyone else was still there, seated around the table. They all said their greetings before May addressed her mother.

"Please tell me you saved some food for me..." The pleading tone of May's voice made everyone chuckle.

Caroline nodded her head at her daughter's words. "Of course, dear. It's in the fridge on the middle shelf."

With this new found information, the hungry brunette walked to the refrigerator and opened the door, hoping to find the food quickly. May saw the food almost immediately, but paused before she went to grab it. She cocked her head in confusion as she noticed that there were two plates, piled as high as they could be with breakfast food, present in the fridge.

May turned around, still holding the refrigerator door still open, and addressed the others. "Why are there two plates in here?"

As she spoke, she noticed Ash stand from his seat and start walking over to her. She watched as he got closer, coming to a stop right next to her, in front of the fridge.

Ash then looked into May's eyes and addressed her. "The other plate is mine. I didn't want you to have to eat alone, so I waited for you."

Ash smiled as he spoke to the brunette, who was slightly stunned at the man's words. This might not seem like a big deal to most, but with May perfectly understanding Ash's love of food, this was certainly a significant event.

May got over her shock quickly, her face now plastered with a wide, bright smile. She looked at Ash with an immense amount of appreciation in her eyes. Just the fact that'd he'd thought of her made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And because she knew how hungry Ash had to have been when breakfast was first served, him deciding to put off eating until she was there was an incredibly thoughtful gesture, especially considering just how hard it must've been not to eat with all of the food right there in front of him.

May couldn't wipe the smile off of her face as she watched Ash reach into the refrigerator and grab both plates of food. The raven haired trainer then walked over to the microwave and placed one of the plates inside of it. He then set the timer and started the machine.

As he turned around, he was engulfed in a soft hug, immediately recognizing the person with their arms around him to be May.

Still in the embrace, May looked up to meet Ash's gaze, the smile from before still on her face. Though now, it was much softer.

"That was really sweet of you, Ash. Thank you so much for thinking of me." May spoke softly and sincerely, earning a smile and a nod from Ash in response. "Now let's get that food heated up! We've got some serious catching up to do!"

The two chuckled and released from the embrace after May'd said these words.

While May was serious about not rushing into things, she simply kept finding herself in situations where she wanted to embrace Ash more than anything else in the world. And since it could be considered an innocent enough gesture, May didn't see a problem with the frequent hugs the two shared. And not to mention, Ash very much enjoyed them as well.

After a few minutes, both plates of food were reheated and ready to be eaten. Ash and May brought their food over to the table, sat down, and ate like mad. Despite each of them only having one plate of food this morning, that plate was stacked up about as high as it could go. All in all, May and Ash were more than satisfied once they were done with their meal.

May's mind was actually focusing on something other than food, despite her still ravaging the meal in front of her. This was the last full day that Ash and Brock would be here. Truly, there was no more time to waste at this point. May knew that tonight, she had to ask Ash if she could travel with him.

If Ash was feeling anything like May was, then she could understand why he hadn't asked her yet. The fear of rejection was very real and the thought of slowing the other person down and being a nuisance to them was still in the back of their minds.

May would be lying if she said that she wasn't a little saddened by the fact that Ash hadn't asked her to travel with him as of yet, but she had no idea that Ash was feeling similarly. They both knew that their fears were mostly irrational, but they were still enough to make them hesitate. For as much as Ash had matured over the past year, it seemed that he still had room to improve. And the same could be said for May.

Once they finished their food, May steered her mind away from the topic. She wasn't planing on bringing this up until after dinner, so there was no need to stress out about it as of yet. For now, she wanted to focus on having fun with her two best friends as regardless of if she was going to travel with them or not, this was their last day in Petalburgh.

Now that the food was gone, everyone started chatting, the conversations being relatively menial. That being said, everyone enjoyed each other's company and what was being shared between them.

"Unless I'm mistaken, this is your last day here, isn't it?" Norman asked May's two friends. He thought that tomorrow was when Ash and Brock would be leaving, but he wasn't entirely sure.

Both Ash and Brock nodded at the older man, with the latter responding verbally. "Yeah, that's the plan. As long as nothing happens to change things, we're going to be leaving sometime in the mid-afternoon."

Norman nodded at the man's words. It was then that Caroline wanted to ask something.

"So, any big plans for your last day in town?" Caroline asked, a hint of excitement in her voice; she was just so happy that May was having such a great time with her friends.

May, Brock and Ash looked at each other, with the former two shrugging their shoulders. Ash on the other hand, held a knowing smirk on his face, clearly indicating that he had something in mind.

Seeing that his friends were waiting for him to say something, Ash spoke. "There is one thing I think we should do today..."

Everyone noticed how Ash was speaking cryptically, causing the interest of his two friends to grow.

"What do you have in mind?" May questioned, very curious as to what Ash could possibly be hinting at.

Ash's smirk only grew at the woman's question. "Sorry May, but I'd like to keep this one a surprise. But I know for a fact that you're going to love it."

"Oh come on, Ash. Please tell me..." May pouted, putting on her world famous puppy dog look.

Ash mentally recoiled slightly at the sight, noticing just how cute May looked at the moment. It was almost enough to make him relent and give up the surprise right then and there, but he stayed strong in the end. He truly thought that this was something that she would appreciate even more as a surprise, otherwise he would've just told her outright.

"Sorry May, but that look isn't gonna work on me, no mater how cute it is." Ash spoke, not really thinking about what he'd just said.

May's puppy dog look morphed into a simple smile as her face reddened just slightly. Both Brock and Caroline noticed this and smiled discreetly at the sight.

Though, May quickly got over this and put on a fake angry look before she crossed her arms and made a 'hmph' sound, which made everyone laugh.

"I promise May, you're going to absolutely love this. You trust me, don't you?" Ash asked, pretending that he didn't already know the answer to this question.

May dropped her act, put on a soft smile and nodded her head, wanting to respond nicely to the question. "With my life."

May's words caused everyone around her to smile, including Ash, who returned her soft smile and gave her a look of appreciation.

The group had fallen into a temporary silence, which gave Brock the opportunity to ask what was on his mind. "So, when do we get to see find out exactly what this 'surprise is, Ash?"

Ash shrugged at the question before responding. "It's something we can do pretty much anytime, but I was thinking we could go at about 1 o clock or so. Does that sound good to you guys?"

Ash received head nods from his two friends; it wasn't like they really had anything else to do that day anyway.

"But now the question is, what do we do until then?" Brock asked no one in particular.

"We can just hang out. It's not like we have to be doing something at all hours of the day. We can watch movies, play games, pretty much whatever." May suggested, feeling that being lazy for a few hours would be nice.

Both Ash and Brock nodded in agreement before Norman stood from his seat, garnering everyone's attention. Noticing this, he spoke. "I have a challenger in about half and hour. I need to go make sure that my pokemon and the gym are battle ready."

Hearing this, Max instantly stood to his feet as well, his face covered with excitement at the prospect of seeing his dad battle again. Norman had challengers pretty much everyday, and Max watched nearly all of the battles, but the frequency at which he watched them clearly didn't detract anything from his excitement over seeing pokemon battles.

"Okay, sweetie. Have fun and good luck!" Caroline said, standing up and giving her husband a short kiss.

Before anyone could response, Max scoffed and crossed his arms, a confident look appearing on his face. "Please mom, dad doesn't need luck. He's gonna kick some serious butt today!"

Mot everyone sweatdropped at Max's comment as they remembered what Norman had said to Max the other day about having way too much overconfidence in his father. Though, everyone also let out a chuckle as the knew that Max was a smart kid and even though he still had unwavering faith in his dad and his abilities, he would never again react like he did the day before.

With that said, the two walked out of kitchen and out of sight.

Caroline, whom was still standing up, then addressed her daughter and the two boys still left in the room. "Well, I have some work to do around the house. You three have fun! I'll be sure to whip up some lunch at around noon.

The trip nodded at the older woman's words before she too walked out of the kitchen.

Now that they were the only ones left, May Brock and Ash were all thinking about what to do next. Just going with the first thing that came to mind, May spoke. "Let's just go hang out in the living room. We can put on a movie and play a game or something."

Content with the idea, both men immediately agreed and followed the brunette into the living room.

It was particularly nice for Ash and May as it seemed they both enjoyed the exact same movies, even though they weren't typically avid movie-watchers. The two really did have quite a lot in common, and both were glad at that fact.

During this time, May let Torchic out of her pokeball so that she could play with Pikachu. Also, Ash had told Pikachu of his surprise and asked if he wanted to come along when it was time for them to go, but Pikachu made it clear that he'd rather stay here with Torchic and relax for the day, which Ash noted and said was perfectly okay.

May decided on an admittedly forgettable comedy, but that didn't really matter as the trio decided to play a few card games while the movie was on in the background.

With Ash's competitive nature, the game became pretty intense very quickly. And Ash's competitiveness really boosted May and Brock's as well, which made the games much more fun.

Before they even knew it, hours had flown by and it was coming up on noon. The games the three were playing got so intense that they hadn't even noticed when the movie ended. By the time they realized that it was almost lunch time and decided to stop, May came out on top, having won five games, to Ash's four and Brock's 3three

"Sweet, sweet victory!" May spoke happily, making sure to teasingly rub her win in the faces of her friends.

Brock simply chuckled, but Ash huffed and pouted jokingly before looking at May and speaking. "You may have one the battle, but I will win the war!"

May smirked competitively. "We'll have to see about that, now won't we."

The two glared at each other competitively for a few more seconds before they burst into laughter. Once they calmed down, they heard sounds coming from the kitchen, each knowing that this meant Caroline was more than likely beginning to make lunch.

With this in mind, Brock stood to his feet and addressed his two friends. "I'm gonna go see if I can help with lunch."

Both Ash and May nodded before Brock turned and entered the kitchen. Now, that left Ash and May all alone.

Ash didn't know what they could do until lunch was done, but May had an idea. Something that'd been swimming in her mind for a few moments.

Ash noticed May stand to her feet and reached her hand out to help him up. "Come on, I wanna test something out."

Wondering what May could possibly be wanting to test, Ash took her hand and stood to her feet, releasing it once he'd done so. Ash then followed May as she walked up the stairs and into her bedroom.

May was still slightly embarrassed about having a boy in her room, especially since it was Ash and he was alone this time, this was the only place where she could test what she wanted to. Plus, she was an 18 year old woman, having a boy in her room really shouldn't be that big of a deal, and she knew this.

Once the two entered the room, Ash walked over and took a seat on the edge of May's bed. "Now this test does't involve any physical harm, doest it?"

May laughed at Ash's joking comment before shaking her head. "No, you should be safe. I just want to see if we have anything else in common. I mean, we know that we have a lot in common already from the type of movies we like and how we eat food. I just want to see if there's something else I have a feeling about."

Ash cocked his head, wondering what exactly she meant by this. "What do you mean?"

May walked over to her dressed, which Ash noticed had a CD player sitting on top of it. May opened a drawer and pulled out a specific CD case while she addressed Ash's question. "Are you a big music fan, Ash?"

Ash shrugged at the question. "I guess I like music, but I don't really get to listen to it that often while out on the road. I'm definitely more of a casual fan than anything."

May nodded as she went to put the CD into the player, not yet pressing the play button. "Me too, actually. I don't listen to music all the time, so I'm definitely just a casual fan as well. Though I do have a few favorites. What are your favorite bands or singers?"

Ash thought over the question, thinking back to when he listened to music more frequently, remembering the names of his favorites.

"Well...my number one favorite was always the band 'The Kabutos', but I also really like Diantha's stuff as well as the band 'The Dex Holders'. That's probably the order of my top three. Do you know any of them?" Ash questioned, knowing that other than Diantha, the two bands he listed were't as mainstream as many others and weren't all that widely known.

May was smiling wide when she heard Ash list off his favorite artists, her test proving to be a great success. "Know them? Ash, you just named my three favorite artists, in order."

Before Ash could respond, or even really react, May hit play on the CD player behind her and a song, which Ash recognized was by 'The Kabutos', began playing.

Ash's eyes widened as he realized that himself and May had another thing in common. As the song played, May tossed Ash the case for the CD she was currently playing. Judging by the cover, it looked like this was a custom disk that May'd made some time ago.

Ash then flipped the case over and looked at the track list on the back. Running his eyes over the list, he noticed that literally all of the songs on the CD were by the three aforementioned artists.

May was still smiling at Ash as he read over the CD case, still finding it hard to believe just how alike herself and Ash were; she'd never found somebody who had this much in common with her, especially her love for food. While having similar interests in music and movies was great to May, nothing could compare with the fact that she'd found someone else who ate exactly like she did.

Plus, as May knew the type of person Ash was, she knew that they also shared many of the same values. From having the desire to protect others, to being kind to all that deserve it, it was clear that the two friends shared a lot of the same beliefs

Once he was done reading, Ash looked up at May with a smile of his own. "Wow, we really do have a lot in common, don't we?"

May smiled softly before responding. "Yeah...yeah we do."

It was then that a thought popped into Ash's head, causing a soft smile of his own to overtake his feature. Noticing this, May paused the song and waited for Ash to speak.

Seeing that May was waiting for him to say something, Ash said what was on his mind. "I was just thinking, this just really cements the fact that us meeting that day was fate, not that I doubted it before. I believe we were always destined to meet that day, in the way we did. And I truly think that I was supposed to fall off that cliff...though I could've done with out that part."

May laughed at Ash's last comment before allowing her face to return to holding a soft smile once again, warmth and happiness radiating from her body. They'd talked about this plenty of times before before, but being reminded of it was always a nice feeling. Plus, May truly believed this as well. There was just no way in her mind that herself and Ash could've connected as deeply and as quickly as they did without fate playing a hand in it.

"You're definitely right about that one." May started sweetly. "The one thing I'm still trying to figure out though is how I got so lucky."

Upon processing May's words, Ash stood up and approached May before encompassing her in a hug, which May eagerly returned. As she was typically the one who initiated the hugs between the two, she was ecstatic when Ash would be the one to embrace her first.

Whilst still in the embrace, Ash spoke. "At risk of sounding incredibly cheesy, I think I'm the lucky one here. The friendship we've built...it means the world to me. I feel like a broken record, but I'm so thankful that I got the chance you."

May's smile widened as she continued to rest her head on Ash's chest, her arms wrapped firmly around his torso. After a few moments, the two broke apart.

May met Ash's gaze before speaking brightly. "Let's just say that we're both lucky and leave it at that."

Ash chuckled at the brunette's words and nodded her head in agreement. Ash was about to speak only to be cut off by the sound of Caroline yelling for them from downstairs.

"May, Ash, lunch is ready!" They heard Caroline yell.

Having gotten hungry since breakfast, both Ash and May's eyes lit up at the prospect of food. The two quickly rushed to the kitchen, in a hurry to start eating once again.

They reached their seats in the kitchen in record time, blazing past Norman and Max, whom were both coming back from the gym. The father and son duo could only laugh at how excited May and Ash would get about food.

Caroline decided it best to serve everyone else before Ash and May so that they would technically all be eating together, even if the two friends finished within seconds of receiving their food.

May took this time to look at Ash, her eyes holding a teasing glint. "You know Ash, if you would've ran as fast as you just did when we were racing this morning, you might've actually had a chance of winning."

Ash immediately huffed at the comment before retorting. "I'm sorry, did you say something, May? I tend not to listen to _cheaters_!"

Ash really emphasized the last words, causing May to gasp in an exaggerated way. The two then locked eyes and began chuckling.

While this was going on, Caroline, had served both Ash and May, and the two had just noticed this. Immediately, they began wolfing down their food at breakneck speeds. It wasn't long before they'd finished, both being content with what they'd gotten.

Now that the two would be able to talk again, Norman asked something that'd been in his mind for a few moments.

"Hey, May?" Norman started, gaining his daughter's attention. "What was this 'race' you were just talking about?"

Upon processing her father's words, May realized that her parents hadn't know that she'd trained with Ash in the morning. With this in mind, May went to answer his question.

"You remember how Ash told us that he trains every morning, right?" May questioned. Seeing her father nod, she continued. "Well, after seeing him training yesterday, I wanted to give it a try. So I trained with sh this morning. We did so many exercises, I'm not sure how I'm not more sore than I am. And we ran a couple of miles as well, which is where that impromptu 'race' took place. A race that _I_ won, I might add."

May finished her sentence proudly, her nose stuck high into the air in a pompous way.

Ash could only scoff at this. "And they say cheaters never win..."

Everyone laughed at Ash's comment before Brock decided to speak up. "So, you think you're gonna continue training like how Ash does?"

May noticed Brock's knowing tone, making her grin. "Actually, I think I might. Well...probably not with the same intensity...And I think I'm gonna pass on doing the training at 4:30 in the morning. I just don't think my body could handle it. But other than that, I really had a great time and it felt amazing being so productive so early in the morning! Plus, even doing that workout just once or twice a week would keep me in incredible shape."

"Yeah, me doing it everyday is admittedly a bit much. But hey, if I want to be the best, then I have to do things others aren't willing to do." Ash said, causing those around the table to nod.

Max's eyes lit up before he addressed Ash. "You gotta teach me some of your workout methods. I mean, you're jacked! I want to have a body just like that when I'm older!"\

Everyone chuckled at Max's excited tone and Ash nodded at the boy, telling him that he'd be happy to share some of his secrets.

May then looked at her brother, a disbelieving look on her face. "Yeah, I don't think you can ever get a body like Ash's because that would actually require you to pull your head out a book for more than a minute."

"Oh May, be nice." Caroline said to her daughter, though it was clear that she was giggling at May's teasing of Max. Everyone else simply chuckled at the two siblings.

Max crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his tongue out at his sister. Though in the back of his mind, he knew that his sister was right. Even if he had all the knowledge in the world about working out, Max doubted that he'd ever have the level of dedication that Ash did on the topic.

Once this exchange was finished, the group of people fell into a comfortable silence. Though, that didn't last long as another conversation had started up almost immediately after they'd gone silent.

This continued throughout lunch, all the way until the last person had finished their food. Much like they had during breakfast, Norman and Max left to go to the gym as Norman had another challenger to prepare for.

Once the father and son had left, Ash looked to oven clock, noticing that it was 12:45pm. He decided that now would be a good time to get going; it wasn't exactly 1:00pm as he'd planned, but that was really just an arbitrary number he'd come up with on the spot. They could really go whenever they wanted.

With this in mind, Ash stood to his feet, gaining the attention of the others at the table. "Come on, guys. We gotta get ready to go so I can show you the surprise"

Both Brock and May perked up at Ash's words, instantly standing to their feet so that they could prepare to go. Before they left the kitchen however, they all turned to Caroline and addressed her.

"Thanks for the food, Caroline. It was fantastic. You too, Brock. Thank you." Ash thanked the older woman, as well as his oldest friend, both of which waved it off and said it was their pleasure.

Before Caroline could respond, May addressed her next. "Yeah, thank you for the food. It was great as always."

Caroline smiled warmly at the two, happy to have provided them with food. "Of course! I'm always happy to cook, especially when I have Brock's help as he makes it much easier, and a lot tastier too!. You all go have fun now!'

Ash, Brock and May smiled at the woman, the latter of which going up to her and planting a kiss on her mother's cheek before they began walking toward the stairs. As they arrived at the base of the stairs, the three friends paused their strides.

"So what do we need to bring, Ash" Brock questioned.

Since they didn't know exactly where they were going or what they were going to be doing, some direction in what they should bring and wear would definitely be helpful.

Ash answered the question immediately. "Pretty much just grab everything you'd bring out on a typical day around the town. You'll both be fine dressed in what you are now, just make sure you have everything else you think you'd need like your wallet and such. Meet back here at the base of the stairs as soon as you're ready."

Both May and Brock nodded at Ash's words before the two proceeded upstairs; neither of them had their wallets on them at the moment, with this being the only thing they needed to grab before they were ready to leave. Ash went to the family room so that he could grab his wallet, as well as to say goodbye to Pikachu and Torchic and let them know that he'd be back later.

The two pokemon were just lounging on the sofa and barely even acknowledged Ash's appearance, which made him chuckle. Caroline had given both Pikachu and Torchic quite a bit of ketchup just before she'd served lunch and it seemed that they were both in a bit of a food coma because of how much of it they'd eaten.

Ash grabbed his wallet and rubbed the two pokemon on their heads before returning to the base of the stairs, noticing that Brock and May were already there, waiting for him.

Ash smiled at his two friends before opening the door, allowing the others to exit before him. "After you."

Ash'd used his fake regal voice when he'd said this, which caused May to act jokingly in turn with her curtseying before she exited the house. Even Brock got involved in the joking, thanking Ash in what was admittedly a terrible accent of his own.

May and Brock followed Ash as he was the only one who knew where they were going. Both May and Brock were full of excitement over what Ash's surprise could possibly be.

"I've got to admit Ash, I'm actually pretty excited to find out what this surprise is." Brock told Ash as they continued down the street.

Upon processing Brock's words, Ash couldn't help but chuckle nervously, which both of his friends noticed.

"Ash..." Brock started slowly, not liking his friend's reaction. "Why are you laughing like that...?

Ash rubbed the back of his head, not turning around to face his older friend as he spoke. "Well...this surprise isn't really for _you_ , Brock. I still want you to come along, but I think May is going to appreciate this a lot more than you will."

Brock became slightly saddened by the news as he actually had been excited about this surprise. That being said, he didn't let it ruin his mood as he simply continued along, now curious more than anything as to what the surprise could possibly be.

May on the other hand, couldn't help but smile and blush slightly as she discovered that Ash'd tailored this surprise solely for her. He wondered why he would do that, but didn't dwell on it. Instead, she simply allowed the happiness she was feeling flow through her. She was even more excited now than she had been before.

The three chatted for a while until they finally reached their destination. They'd seen the building from a while back, but neither Brock nor May thought that Ash would be leading them here of all places.

But once Ash stopped in front of the doors and turned to face them, Brock and May realized that this was in fact where Ash had meant to bring them.

"Ash...?" Brock started, his tone full of confusion. "Why did you bring us to the mall. You hate shopping."

May knew of Ash's distaste for shopping as well, so she too was confused and curious about what Ash's response would be.

Ash once again found himself rubbing the back of his head before addressing his two friends . "I did say that this was something May was going to appreciate a lot more than you or me, Brock."

As she processed Ash's words, May's eyes lit up as she realized that she was more than likely going to get to go shopping. Though, she still had some questions for Ash.

"But why would you bring us shopping, Ash? Like Brock said, we know you really don't like it." May inquired.

Ash smiled warmly before answering May's question. "Well...I was just really proud of what you did last night, how you found the courage to tell your parents the truth. I thought that taking you shopping would be a nice way to show you how proud I am that you were able to do that since I know you love it. Plus, I thought I might be able to help you get some things that might come in handy during your journey. And I'm happy to buy you some clothes too. I'm paying for everything today, and don't try to argue that!"

May went beet red at Ash's explanation. She had to pull her gaze away from Ash as she didn't think she'd be able to control herself completely should she be looking into his eyes at the moment.

What Ash was doing for her was so incredibly sweet. May knew full well how much Ash hated shopping, but he was willing to go through it just to show her how proud he was of her. May's heart was beating madly as she felt many powerful emotions build up within her.

Still looking away, May locked her hands behind her back and fiddled around timidly. "Ash...you don't have to do that. You hate shopping and it's your money. Don't waste it on me."

Ash didn't miss a beat as he responded immediately. "I know I don't _have_ to do this, but I _want_ to _._ I know how hard doing what you did last night was for you, so I just want to reward you for it You deserve it. And spending my money on you isn't a waste at all! I don't spend very much of it on myself and I can't think of a better way to use it than to show you how proud I am of you."

Just as Ash finished speaking, May shot forward and enveloped the taller man in a hug. Even though Ash was constantly doing incredibly nice things for her, this still surprised May quite a bit.

May already knew how proud Ash was of her for finding her inner courage, but him doing this was just so kind and thoughtful. And for him to go through something he hates just so that she could be happy made May feel amazingly important and cared for.

The two stayed like this for a while. People both entering and exiting the mall noticed the pair embracing and would smile at them, some even recounting with their romantic partner about young love.

Bwhile this was going on, Brock simply crossed his arms and smiled softly at the pair. He had a strong feeling that it was inevitable that Ash and May would get together, it just had to be. Though with Ash, there was no telling when that could be.

Brock knew full well that to most, this act would appear to be something that a guy would do for a girlfriend or a girl that someone was trying to get with romantically. But with Ash, he knew that it was likely that he didn't mean it like this.

Ash had always been a very giving person who was happiest when he was doing things for others. And because May was such an important person in his life, and because he truly was very proud of her for her bravery, Brock knew that Ash did this for her simply because he wanted to show her these things and show her that she was important to him.

But Brock was almost certain that this was it. That there was no ulterior or romantic motive behind it. That being said, he'd been wrong before...

Though what Brock didn't know was that May realized this as well. She knew Ash as well as anyone at this point and she knew how he functioned. She knew that she couldn't look at this as a sign that he had feelings for her as it was impossible to tell with Ash.

That being said, this act did show May just how much Ash cared about her, how much he wanted her to be happy, which was more than enough to make her heart burst with joy.

Not wanting the embrace to last an uncomfortable amount of time while in public, the two pulled away from one another, with May finally looking into Ash's eyes.

May smiled warmly at Ash, the amount of appreciation she was feeling evident in her gaze. "Thank you, Ash. Thank you so much. This really means a lot to me."

"Of course, May! I know how much you love shopping, so I thought it'd be a perfect reward!" Ash spoke happily, immensely glad that May was happy with the surprise.

May simply smiled and nodded at Sh words but in her mind, she was saying something else entirely. _"This means so much more to me than just a fun shopping trip. Thank you Ash for caring about me so much. You have no idea how much I care about you."_

As was happening more an more often, May knew that her feelings for the raven haired trainer had grown once again. This simply made her even more adamant about asking to travel with him later that night. But for now, she was simply going to enjoy this shopping trip.

Now that the sentimental moment was over, Brock was hoping on changing the mood to one that was more lighthearted. "If we're here so May can shop, why did you bring me?"

Ash smiled as if the answer to his question was obvious. "Well...Someone has to carry all of May's bags."

Brock deadpanned at his best friend's word, causing Ash and May to break out into a fit of laughter. The two continued to chuckle for a few moments before Ash addressed Brock once again.

"Oh, lighten up, Brock. I was just joking around. I'm going to be the one carrying the bags. This was my idea, so I'm happy to take that responsibility." Ash comforted Brock, making him sigh in relief which in turn, made Ash and May giggle once again.

While May very much appreciated Ash's willingness to do this, she did want to save him _some_ trouble. "I appreciate that Ash, and I'll definitely take you up on that offer. But until I run out of hands, I'm okay with carrying my own bags."

Ash simply smiled and shrugged at May's words before he lead the way into the mall.

The first thing that the trio noticed was that it was pretty empty, especially for it being such a big mall. Though, it was a weekday and at a somewhat odd time, so they supposed it made sense. There were still a good amount of people, but the mall was just so big and the people were so dispersed that it didn't seem like there were many there at all.

May was bursting with excitement, having not gone shopping since weeks before she was going to start her journey. Ash and Brock noticed this, causing them to shake their heads an chuckle. They truly didn't understand how some women could have such an obsession with shopping.

Seeing that they weren't yet headed anywhere, Ash addressed the brunette woman beside him. "We're following you, May. Wherever you want to go, we'll follow."

Ash's words caused May to squeal in excitement and hug Ash quickly once again. May also hugged Brock for a quick moment as she was just so pumped for what was to come.

And with that, May started walking briskly toward the first store. Before catching up to her, Brock and Ash looked at each other and sighed before putting on a smile and quickly catching up with May.

Since May had been here many times before, she knew where most of her favorite stores were. She found the first one she wanted to look in quickly. This particular store had a lot of casual clothing that she liked to wear, including the type of clothing that she would mostly be wearing while traveling.

May tried on a number of different outfits, asking for the opinions of Ash and Brock on each one. May was a beautiful girl, and she truly looked fantastic, regardless of what she was wearing, and the two men made sure that she knew this.

Of course, May appreciated Brock's compliments and opinions but for obvious reasons, Ash's just meant so much more to her. As she'd never had feelings for a boy before Ash, May'd never really tried to 'dress to impress'.

May liked dressing up and wearing nice clothing, but she never did this with the intention of impressing anybody. And while she still did enjoy dressing how she did, there was now the added bonus of wearing things that she thought would impress Ash.

Ash told her that she looked great in everything she tried on, but May'd quickly figured something out. While she knew he was being entirely truthful when saying that she looked amazing no matter what, his eyes would sparkle slightly when he saw her in something he really liked. It was those clothes, along with a few others, that May decided to purchase.

After a while of shopping at this store, May told her two friends that she was done here and ready to check out. Once the clothes were totaled up, May instinctually reached for her wallet, only to be stopped by Ash's hand.

May looked at Ash, only to see him smiling. "I told you, I'm paying for you today."

May knew that protesting would be futile, so she simply smiled appreciatively and gave Ash a quick side-hug. Once Ash paid for the clothes, May grabbed the bags and the trio was off to the next store.

The group of friends went to a few more stores that were similar to the first one with May buying clothes from some of them, while not buying clothes from others.

At one point, May'd almost lead them into a specialty woman's bathing suit shop. Though once she realized what she was doing, she froze in her spot, confusing both Ash and Brock.

At first, May'd wanted to go into the store and find another nice bathing suit for her journey, even though she had just recently purchased a new one that she already adored. Though, when she thought about trying on the type of bathing suit that she preferred, two piece bikinis, in front of Ash, she became incredibly embarrassed.

That being said, May would have been lying had she said the thought also didn't excite her. With how much she admired Ash's physical appearance, she truly did want Ash to look at her as she looked at him a lot more often. She knew that Ash though her to be very beautiful as he'd said multiple times and when he'd stolen glances at her earlier in the morning during training, she'd been incredibly happy.

As her mind ran for a few moments, May found her thoughts becoming slightly sexual. When this started to happen, May did her best to snap herself out of it; the mall was not exactly a great place to get turned on.

In the end, she decided not to stop at the swim suit shop. Ash and Brock were going to question why May'd frozen just moments ago, but ultimately dropped it when May cut off Brock whilst he was asking about it.

They continued walking until they passed a store that was specifically catered toward pokemon trainers and those who traveled around the pokemon world. May remembered Ash telling her that there were some things she might find helpful for her journey in stores like this, so she decided to stop in and see what they had.

Ash and Brock advised May to buy a few things such as potions, burn heals, and other things of the sort. Even though she wasn't planning on having Torchic battle, there were still chances of things happening that would make these items come in handy.

May fully trusted their judgement and grabbed all of the items that they'd advised her to. As they were walking to the register, May stopped in her tracks as something caught her eye. There, in a nice display, was a small, technological device.

Ash and Brock also took notice of the piece of technology, with Ash, much like May, having never seen something like this before. Brock on the other hand, had done a small amount of research on this particular item. That being said he didn't know much more than the name of the device and it's most basic functions.

"That's a PokeNav. It's a fairly new piece of technology that does a whole bunch of different things." A new voice as heard, causing the trio to jump slightly in surprise.

Turning around, they three saw that an older man who clearly worked at the shop was the one who'd spoken to them.

"Check out this list right here." The store employee pointed to some text that was just above the display. "This explains everything the PokeNav can do. It really is a cool piece of technology!"

Brock nodded his head in agreement before adding his two cents to the conversation. "I've heard about this thing. From what I know, it sure sounds like it would come in handy for those out on the road all the time."

With this being said, May's interest was piqued and she was considering purchasing it as she was willing to try anything that would help her thrive on her first journey. Though, there was one question she still had about the product.

"How much is it?" May inquired, still looking at the device. Ash's eyes were also still locked on the item.

"Well, they're quite new, so they're not cheap. The price is 1500 pokedollars." The worker revealed, causing the three friends' eyes to widen in surprise. "I know it seems like a lot, but all the experts are saying that this is a device that is going to make traveling a great deal easier and less dangerous."

Processing the man's words, Ash looked to May, who noticed this and brought her gaze to meet his. "Do you want it?"

May shrugged at Ash's question. "I don't think I can really afford to spend that much on something like this. It would be helpful, but it's just not in the cards right now."

Seeing that she had slightly misunderstood him, Ash spoke again. "No May, I mean do you want me to get this for you?"

Even though Ash'd told her that he would be paying for this trip, she didn't expect him to offer to pay for something so expensive. And while she very much appreciated the offer, this just seemed like too much to ask for, especially with how much he'd already gotten her.

May smiled softly at Ash. "I really appreciate that Ash, but I'm not gonna let you do that. You've gotten way too much for me already. This is too much."

"But I really don't min-"

"No, Ash. I'm not going to let you spend that much money on me. I'm not relenting on this." May spoke a bit more forcefully, though she was still clearly very appreciative for his willingness to do this for her.

Knowing that May had a similar stubborn personality to his own, Ash had no choice but to sigh and nod his head.

With that being cleared up, May turned to face the employee. "Thanks for telling us about the PokeNav sir, but we're going to pass on it today."

The older man nodded his head in understanding. "I understand. It is a lot of money to lay down right on the spot. But I'd be happy to ring up those other items you have if you'd follow me to the register."

Ash, May and Brock all nodded their head at the man and followed him to the register. This time, it was Brock who payed for the items. He'd said that he wanted to contribute something more to the day than just his presence, which amy very much appreciated.

Once that was payed for, they walked out the store and began walking once again. Ash took notice of how the store they'd just left was right next to a men's restroom. Forming an idea in his mind, Ash followed as May and Brock turned a corner, now out of sight of the store.

"Hey, guys?" Ash started, causing May and Brock to stop and turn to face him. "I really need to go to the bathroom and I think I saw one back there. I'm gonna go take care of that real quick."

Both May and Brock saw Ash fidgeting around as if he really had to go to the bathroom, which corroborated his story. And while they did find it slightly strange that this'd come on so quickly, they didn't question it.

"Okay. We'll just take a look around this store until you come back." May said to Ash, pointing toward the store they were standing directly in front of.

It was a gift shop type store that sold trinkets and such. Neither Brock nor May were planning on buying anything from here, but it would give them something to do while they waited for Ash to return.

Ash nodded at his two friends and handed off the few bags he was carrying for May to Brock before rushing off back around the corner from whence they came. After checking to make sure that neither Brock nor May had followed him, Ash walked passed the bathroom and reentered the store that they'd just previously been in.

Immediately, the employee rom before recognized Ash. "Hey there! Welcome back, young man."

Ash smiled politely at the worker and approached him at the counter. "Hey. I actually am going to buy one of those PokeNavs."

The older man smiled and nodded at the raven haired trainer's words. He noticed that the two others he'd been with before were no longer with him, which lead him to believe that he wasn't buying this PokeNav for himself, and that he didn't want a particular person to know that he was buying it.

"So you decided to get one after all." The man said casually as he reached below the counter and grabbed a brand new PokeNav. "You're a lucky guy. She's quite beautiful. Your girlfriend must be really special if you're willing to spend this much money on a gift for her."

Ash smiled as he registered the latter part of the employee's statement. "Yeah, she's definitely special to me."

Though as soon as he finished speaking, Ash's eyes widened and he put his hands up in defense. "Oh, but we're not...I mean she's not...ugh, you know what? Never mind. Thank you, sir."

Ash stumbled all over his words and eventually, just gave up on trying to form a proper response and simply payed for the device.

The employee handed Ash the device before the raven haired man began walking out of the store.

"Have a good day!" The employee stated, causing Ash to respond in kind.

Once he was outside the store, Ash took the PokeNav and placed it in his jacket pocket where surprisingly, it fit comfortably, even in its packaging; he was confident that neither Brock nor May would be able to tell that he was hiding anything.

Happy with what he'd done, Ash rounded the corner and entered the store that Brock and May were currently in, only to see them listening to a woman he could only assume was an employee of this particular store..

May and Brock noticed Ash wave to them over the worker's shoulder. Seeing him, the two walked away from the woman who'd been speaking to them after saying they had to go very quickly.

May and Brock walked right past Ash, confusing him slightly. Though before they were past him, both Brock and May each grabbed once of Ash's arms and dragged him along.

"We need to go." Brock said with urgency.

Ash quickly became concerned over what was happening and once they were out of the store, he addressed this.

"What's going on? What's wrong?" Ash asked worriedly.

Brock and May were clearly relieved to be out of that store, and the former of the two was about to explain exactly why that was.

"That woman...she wouldn't stop talking. From the second we walked in, to the second we walked out. I swear, she tried to get us to buy every item in that store at least three times." Brock said, in exasperation.

May was in a similar state, but she was able to speak as well. "She said she doesn't get many customers, so she jumped us like a jungle cat."

Ash didn't react immediately after hearing their explanation but after a few second, he burst out into a fit of laughter.

Now that Brock and May were out of the store, they could see the humor in this situation as well and began laughing along with Ash. After a few moments, the three friends calmed down.

"Glad to see that you two can still have fun without me." Ash teased, causing May to stick out her tongue at him in response. This caused Ash to chuckle once again.

With that said and done, Ash decided to ask May what was becoming quite the familiar question.

"Where to next, May?" Ash questioned. Once he spoke, Ash reclaimed the bags that he'd given Brock to hold while he 'used the 'restroom'.

May took a few seconds to think over where to go next. After a couple of moments, she remembered a particular store that she'd been in once a few years ago. A store that sold a particular style of clothing that she thought she might possibly need at some point. And even if not, she still very much liked dressing up in this type of clothing, even if she decided that she wasn't going to buy anything.

"I forget what the name of it is, but there's a store at the very back of the mall that sells fancy dresses and suits. Let's go there next!" May spoke, excited at the prospect of dressing up.

Ash shrugged at May's suggestion while Brock looked to addressed his raven haired friend.

"That's actually perfect, Ash." Brock started, causing Ash to look at him curiously. "You need to get your own suit."

Ash pouted at Brock's words. "Why? You know I hate wearing those things."

"Remember the party and all of the other formal events that were held after you won the Indigo League? How you had to borrow a suit from Richie? Well, Richie isn't going to be here if you win the Hoenn League to lend you a suit. Plus, the people at the Indigo League said that it's likely that there will be another party that we're invited to sometime this year. You need to get your own suit." Brock listed out all the reasons, knowing he was definitely correct on this one.

Ash was about to retort, but decided it best to simply sigh and nod his head. Brock's reasoning was infallible, and Ash knew this. Going to these formal events was sometimes part of the territory of being a successful pokemon trainer, and Ash understood this. Plus if they were going to this store anyway, he supposed he could find a suit of his own.

May simply smiled at the exchange. "Awesome! Let's head there now!"

With that said, May led the charge toward the store. Although May couldn't remember the name of the shop, she clearly remembered the location, which allowed them to reach it quickly.

The storefront was nicely decorated and the look of the store was much more elegant than any they'd others that they'd seen in the mall.

When the trio entered, the woman working behind the counter called out to them. "Hello! My name's Samantha. Welcome to our boutique! Can I assist you with anything?"

Hearing the woman's words, the three friends looked to her. The woman working the counter was a pretty, dark blue haired woman in her mid to late 20s. She was dressed more formally than employees of other stores in the mall, but they supposed that this only made sense considering the type of things that were sold here.

Ash, May and Brock smiled at the woman, with the brunette responding. "My name's May, and this is Brock and Ash. We're just looking around for now, but thank you."

The woman nodded her head in acknowledgment. "Okay! If you need anything, just let me know! It's been a pretty slow day, so I'm more than happy to help! Plus, I actually went to school for fashion, so I like to think I now what I'm talking about." The woman chuckled at herself, causing the others to do so as well.

Before they started looking around, Ash addressed May. "You can try on some dresses first and then I'll find myself a suit.

May nodded and began looking around. There were so many beautiful dresses here that it was hard to pick which ones she wanted to try on. She was looking for a dress that she would use for formal events, which would pop up from time to time, especially with her dad being a gym leader. She really wanted the dress to be elegant and classy, but also still youthful and fun.

Having a hard time deciding on any of the dresses after a number of minutes searching, May decided to take Samantha up on her offer and have her help. Since she said she'd gone to school for fashion, May thought that she'd certainly be able to aid her in finding the right dress for her.

"Excuse me, Samantha?" May started gaining the woman's attention. "Would you mind helping me find the perfect dress for me? Everything is just so beautiful that I don't know where to start!"

Samantha smiled warmly at the younger girl's words and approached the three friends. "Of course! That's what I'm here for."

Before they went back to looking, Samantha took this time to take in the appearance of the three in front of her, May especially as she needed to get a base so that she could decide what would look the best on her.

It was immediately clear to her that May was a very beautiful girl. She also took note of the fact that she had a larger than average bust and would have to take that into account when searching for the perfect dress; May's chest was more than large enough to make finding a strapless dress to be extremely difficult, which Samantha accounted for in her mind. All in all, she didn't think she would have any problem finding a dress for her as she was certain to make most anything look good.

She then looked to Brock, noticing his squinted eyes first, which she found intriguing. He just looked very interesting to her and he just gave off an aura of wisdom that she appreciated. She actually did find him to be pretty attractive overall.

Finally, she looked at Ash. Taking in his appearance, she was slightly taken aback by how attractive he was. She also thought that he looked kind of familiar, but couldn't place where she might have seen him before...

"Are you the one that said you're going to be looking for a suit?" Samantha asked the raven haired trainer, who smiled and nodded his head in response.

Samantha then gave Ash another once over, taking in the appearance of his whole body. She could clearly tell that he was tall and well toned, with a good-looking face to cap it all off.

Her analyzing gaze made Ash just the slightest bit uncomfortable, but he didn't let it show. May also became slightly annoyed by how she was looking at him, but rationalized that she was simply looking him over so that she could get an idea of what might look good on him. And this was the truth.

Well, mostly...

Once she met Ash's eyes again, Samantha smiled warmly and spoke. "I think we can definitely find the perfect suit for you. But first, let's focus on you, May."

With that said, the two women began sifting through the tremendous amount of clothing all throughout the store. After about five minutes of searching, Samantha made an 'ah-ha' sound, drawing everyone's attention toward her.

"This is the one. I can already tell." Samantha said whilst holding up the dress that she was talking about.

May fell in love with the look of the dress as soon as she saw it. It was a red dress with thin shoulder straps, and it was strategically accented with shiny silver jewels. Just by the look of it, May knew it would be form fitting, which was what she was looking for when it came to a formal dress.

"I need to go try this on, right away!" May spoke eagerly, snatching the dress out of Samantha's hand.

May's two friends chuckled at her level of excitement while Samantha was proud that she was able to find a dress that she May'd liked. And she had a good feeling that she would like it even more when she had it on.

The three people watched as May entered the dressing room and began changing. It was a few minutes before they heard anything from the lovely brunette.

"O-Okay. I'm coming out." May spoke with an odd timidness in her voice.

Everyone was confused by her tone, but May knew the reason. She absolutely loved the dress and how it looked on her but now, she was desperately hoping that Ash thought that she looked good in it. She'd always been one to dress nicely for herself but now, she also really wanted Ash to like what she was wearing.

Ash, Brock and Samantha all waited patiently as May slowly opened the door to the changing room and walked out.

What they saw astounded them all.

May was standing shyly, which only added to how cute she looked at the moment. She'd also opted to take off her bandana as she wouldn't e wearing it whilst at a formal event.

The dress hugged her body tightly, accentuating her fit body and showing off an enticing amount of cleavage, just enough for it to still be considered classy. It was like this dress was made specifically for it to be worn by May.

Samantha reacted immediately, becoming excited at how good May looked in the dress. "I knew it! You look absolutely incredible!"

May smiled timidly at the woman's words as she awaited reactions from Brock and Ash. May couldn't help but have her gaze locked solely on Ash, whom she noticed was starting at her with a blank look on his face, his mouth slightly agape and his cheeks just slightly red.

"You really do look fantastic, May." Brock added. May tore her eyes off of Ash for just a second to acknowledge Brock's words.

It was clear to Brock and Samantha that May was eagerly, yet nervously awaiting Ash's reaction. But at the moment, Ash was simply still just staring at her, his eyes wide.

Not being able to take the suspense any more, May managed to speak. "W-What do you think, Ash?"

May addressing him finally seemed to break Ash out of his stupor. Once he was back in control of himself, he let an amazed smile cross his face.

"May..." Ash started, trying to find the right words. May waited eagerly for what he would say next. "You look...beautiful. More than beautiful, actually. I really don't think there's a word that encompass just how amazing you look right now. It's like that dress was made just for you. You're always beautiful but that dress, it just...it makes you look absolutely perfect, May."

Ash finished, telling May what he was thinking, allowing exactly what was on his mind to flow through his mouth as he was known to do. He truly did believe all these things and Ash didn't think it would be hard to believe that May could possibly be one of the most beautiful women in the entire world at this moment. He'd never seen something so close to perfection, which both surprised and excited him.

Immediately after processing Ash's words, May's timid look morphed into one of complete and utter joy, along with her face going nearly as red as her dress. She was still feeling shy, but for a completely different reason. Though that feeling was greatly outweighed by the immense amount of happiness she was feeling at the moment.

The way Ash was looking at her right now, May never wanted him to stop; it was making her melt. It was like Ash saw nothing but her at this moment, and this filled her with a tremendous amount of hope for the future. Hope that one day, Ash might actually return her feelings.

May also couldn't control the stupid grin that overcame her features. Ash's words even managed to make May's eyes water slightly as they were simply exactly what she didn't know she wanted to hear from him.

After a few moments of simply looking into each other's eyes, May spoke. "T-Thank you, A-Ash."

May really didn't know what to say other than that. In all honesty, she really wanted to confess right there on the spot and run up to Ash and allow him to take her first kiss, but she knew full well that she couldn't do that. She was really did want to take things slowly, but Ash was just making that so damn hard.

Both Brock and Samantha couldn't help but chuckle at the exchange between the two. They'd both found Ash's words to be incredibly sweet, as well as how much what he'd said clearly meant to May. This also lead Samantha to insinuate that the two were together, though she refrained from saying anything about that for the time being.

Ash simply nodded, his eyes still locked on the lovely brunette. Though she was still not fully over what she was feeling from what Ash's said, May turned her gaze toward Samantha as she had an important question to ask regarding the dress.

"How much is i-"

May started to ask her question, only to be cut off by Ash. "Don't even ask, May. I don't care what the price is, I am buying you that dress, and there is no way you can talk me out of it."

May was initial surprised by being cut off, but smiled as she took in what Ash'd said. She could tell how adamant Ash was about this, and that made her feel even more amazing than she did before, and that was really saying something.

Even though Ash'd said that the price didn't matter, Samantha still wanted to inform them of it. "Normally, this dress would go for 2250 pokedollars but because there is no way any other person could even dream of looking as good in it as you do, I'm willing to give it to you for 1250."

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, first because of how expensive the dress was, and second because of the immense price cut Samantha was offering them.

May was about to comment on the fact that Ash shouldn't spend that kind of money on her, but the look Ash was giving her told her that he was going to buy it whether she liked it or not. So instead of trying to argue, May simply smiled gratefully at Ash. Though, a simple smile would never be enough to tell Ash just how thankful she was, and not just for buying the dress, but for everything.

"She'll take it." Ash told Samantha enthusiastically.

With that out of the way, May went back into the dressing room to change back into her regular clothing. Ash wasn't exactly proud of it, but when May turned around to reenter the room, he'd have been lying should he say that he didn't check out her rear, which was framed perfectly by the dress.

While May was changing, Samantha addressed Ash. "Now that we've gotten that taken care of, it's time we find you a suit.

Ash nodded at the woman's words, ready to just find a suit and buy it as quickly as possible. Before anyone could say anything else, May returned from the changing room sporting her usual garb.

"Okay, so, what are your measurements?" Samantha inquired. This information was imperative to finding the correct shirt, jacket, shoes and pants that would make up his suit.

Upon processing the woman's words, Ash rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly before responding. "Hehe...I'm not exactly sure..."

"Okay, not a problem! Just follow me over here and we can take them." Samantha stated, leading Ash and his two friends to another part of the store.

Quickly, Samantha took measuring tape and began taking all of Ash's measurements. It wasn't five minutes later that she had all of the necessary information.

"Okay, so now that we've got that covered, we can get to looking! To start, do you have any color preferences?" Samantha questioned.

Ash immediately looked to his two friends and shrugged his shoulders, hoping they would have an opinion. Brock simply wasn't sure and May knew that he would look good in any color, so the decision was really up to him.

Ash looked back to Samantha before responding. "I guess just classic black with a white dress shirt."

This was the type of suit that he'd borrowed from Ritchie all of those months ago for the formal party held in his honor after he'd won the Indigo League, so at least he already had an idea as to what it would look like on him. This was pretty much the sole reason he'd picked this color.

Samantha appeared satisfied by the choice and immediately went to work looking for the perfect pieces of clothing that would ultimately make up the suit. This process had taken slightly longer than it had when they were looking for a dress for May because there were so many different articles of clothing that went into creating a full suit.

Though after a while, Samantha came back holding all the articles of clothing he would need, appearing to be very satisfied with her choices.

"I think these will be perfect." Samantha started, handing the clothes and the pair of shoes to the taller man. "Go try these on and then let us see!"

Ash smiled and nodded appreciatively as he took the clothing from the older woman's hands and entered the dressing room.

"Thank you for finding that dress for me. It really is perfect." May expressed her appreciation for the woman's work while Ash changed.

Samantha smiled at the young woman. "I'm glad that I was able to help." She then let a smirk overtake her features as she motioned with her head toward the dressing room door that current housed Ash. "It certainly caught his attention."

May blushed at the woman's words, but also couldn't help but smile as she remembered Ash's reaction to seeing her. The best part was that while he obviously thought that she looked amazing in the dress, Ash saw her true beauty in who she was as a person. She could be wearing anything at all and Ash would find her beautiful, and May knew that well; this was something she absolutely adored about Ash..

Just as this quick conversation had wrapped up, Ash was heard through the door. "Okay, here I come."

With that said, Ash walked out the door and revealed himself to the three people waiting on the other side.

Ash was wearing the simple black suit that he'd pictured. He had on a white dress shirt, a black blazer, black pants, black dress shoes and a red tie. In fact, it was the same shade of red as May's dress was, which wasn't a coincidence. He also had a pocket square in his breast pocket in the same shade of red as the tie and the dress, which accented the outfit nicely..

Ash was fidgeting with his tie when he walked out of the dressing room, and was still doing so even after he'd came to a stop in front of the three; he clearly hated wearing it. Brock chuckled at this.

Samantha and May on the other hand had different reactions. Samantha's eyes were wide, her mouth open while smiling as she took in his appearance.

She'd seen plenty of attractive guys come into this store and try on suits, but she'd never seen any of them look as good in one as Ash did. Though despite her intense physical attraction to the man, she was a professional and she was going to try her best to act like it.

"I've done it again!" Samantha cheered for herself. "That looks so amazing on you. I don't think it even needs to be tailored, it's a perfect fit all around!"

Ash smiled and nodded in thanks at the compliment. He then looked to Brock and noticed he was giving him a thumbs up, which he acknowledged.

Ash then looked to May, whom currently held an expression very similar to what his had been when she'd first revealed herself in her dress. The only thing she added to the expression was the darker blush that appeared on her cheeks, something she was getting very used to.

It was well established that many women found men to be most attractive while in a suit, and this seemed to prove this ideology to May. From the moment she met him, May'd found Ash to be one of the most attractive people she'd ever seen. And here, seeing him dressed in a suit, May was certain that she'd never been so attracted to anybody in her life, nor would she ever be after this point.

After a number of moments, May managed to break out of her daze, her blush reddening even more as she realized how intensely she'd ben staring. She was also slightly embarrassed by the thoughts she was currently having, which certainly didn't help the redness on her cheeks.

May went to look Ash in the eye but when she tried to do so, she began to feel faint. So instead, May was forced to look slightly off to the side, with her stealing dozens of small glances at his entire body.

"Y-You look...very handsome, Ash." May muttered, mentally hitting herself for not saying more. Ash had said so many nice things to her, and she wanted to do the same.

With this in mind, before Ash could respond, May took a deep breath and continued on. "For as good as you think I look in that dress, I think...I think you look ten times better in that suit!"

Ash was surprised by May's words and his cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. He knew that May found him to be attractive, but he didn't know at just what level this attraction was. A lot of the time, Ash didn't like the attention he would sometimes get because of his appearance but with May, for some reason, he very much liked it. It made his heart beat faster and caused happiness to spread throughout his body. He had no idea what it was that was causing this, but he welcomed it none the less.

"Thank you, May. That really means a lot to me." Ash thanked the brunette softly, conveying just how much he appreciated what she'd said. "Even though I hate this dang tie!" Ash tugged at his tie as he said this.

His lighthearted tone immediately made May much more comfortable after what she'd said; it also made Samantha and Brock laugh.

May quickly realized that this was a big step for her; May never expected that she'd ever have the guts to say something like that to someone so directly.

"But seriously May, I really appreciate what you said, but there's no way I look even a fraction as good as you, no matter what we're wearing! I can't even hold a candle to you in that regard." Ash said, chuckling at himself.

May very much appreciated the lighter tone of the compliment as it made her less embarrassed than it would've had he said it softly and sweetly as he was known to do. She'd only just regained the ability to look Ash in the eye without feeling like she was going to faint, and that feeling would've almost certainly come back had Ash said what he did like he had earlier.

May was about to respond to Ash and tell him that he was wrong, but Samantha beat her to it. "Ash is right. For as amazing as you look Ash, and you do look absolutely amazing, trust me..." Samantha paused and gave Ash another once over, _very_ satisfied by what he was seeing. She then turned her attention back to May. "You're a very beautiful young lady and in that dress, I don't think anyone could beat you in terms of appearance."

While her appearance had always been something she prided herself in, it was never something May was overly concerned with. In her mind, who she was as a person was much more important than what she looked like on the outside, just as Ash did. That being said, being complimented on her physical appearance did feel very nice and she was glad that they found her to be so beautiful, Ash especially.

"See? Told ya!" Ash added, causing everyone to chuckle. He then decided to ask a question he already knew the answer to. "So, do you think I should buy this one?"

Everyone immediately nodded, with May responding verbally as well. "You better! Because if you don't, then I will!"

Ash chuckled at May's 'threat' before retreating back into the changing room. And much like Ash'd done to her, May couldn't help but let her gaze fall to Ash's toned rear, the pants he was wearing accentuating it nicely. Actually, Samantha had allowed herself to take a look at this as well.

Brock noticed what the two were doing and sweatdropped. _"Does Ash have to take the attention of all the girls? He could leave some for me..."_

Despite Brock's thoughts, he wasn't bitter at all and he knew that he would eventually find the perfect girl for him. Plus, if anyone deserved to have this much female attention, it was Ash, even if he didn't exactly like it all the time.

As Ash was changing, Brock excused himself to the front of the store to look at a few suit jackets, leaving the two females alone.

"You're a lucky girl, being with a man like him. He seems like a great guy...and he's got one hell of a body." Samantha said to May as the two simply stared at the door to the changing room.

May's eyes widened at the woman's words before she tried to correct her. "Oh, no we're not...together. Just...really close friends."

Samantha chuckled at May's lame response. "Is that so? Could've fooled me."

Forming an understanding smile on her face, Samantha met May's gaze. "I get it. Give it time. He'll come around. Guys can be painfully slow in the head sometimes."

It was clear to May that Samantha had figured out that she had feelings for Ash by her words. Instead of saying anything, May simply smiled softly, hopefully, and nodded her head in appreciation for her comments.

"And whether you're together right now or not, he's lucky to have you too, May. That much is clear to see." Samantha added, causing May's smile to grow. Samantha then started walking toward the register. "Come on, I'll start ringing you up."

May followed the older woman to the counter and just as she placed the dress down for Samantha to scan, Ash returned from the dressing room and approached the counter before placing all of his items on it as well.

Samantha happily scanned all the items and told the two their total, which was pretty high. May was slightly worried that Ash might have trouble paying for all of this but after seeing Ash not appearing fazed by the total in the slightest, she calmed down.

Ash payed the woman, who then bagged up all the clothes and handed them to Ash.

Both Ash and May, as well as Brock who'd returned to their side, all smiled at the woman behind the counter.

"Thanks again for all your help, Samantha." May expressed her appreciation tot he woman.

"Yeah, thank you. Without you and May being here, I somehow probably would've ended up in a lime green suit that was two sizes too big." Everyone chuckled at Ash's joke.

"Of course! It was my pleasure! I'm just glad that you two found exactly what you were looking for. And I mean it when I say that I've never seen a dress more perfect for someone than that one is for you, May." Samantha said to the brunette, whom smiled in response. The older woman then reached below the counter and grabbed a small card and handing it to Brock. "Here's my card. If you guys ever need something, a new dress or suit, or if you need something Brock, don't hesitate to call. I'd be more than happy to help you guys again!"

Brock took the card and placed it in his wallet before the three friends smiled and nodded at the woman, acknowledging her words.

With their business here being done, Ash, May and Brock walked out of the store after saying goodbye to Samantha.

* * *

 **A/N: And there's chapter 21! Sorry for the wait, school and baseball have just been kicking my ass as of late. But I made sure this was an extra long chapter for you guys! I know not a lot of major things happened this chapter, but there was definitely a good amount of fluff, which I feel like was needed. But if that's not your thing, don't worry, next chapter will have quite a few events**

 **Also, happy belated Advanceshipping day! Two years ago on that day, I began writing "We All Want What We Ain't Got", my first ever oneshot which I am very proud of (it's so crazy to me that I wrote that two years ago). If you haven't already, please go check it out. If you like this story, then I'm positive that you'll like that one as well. I actually just recently went back and edited it, something I'd been meaning to do forever, so the story is in its best ever form for your viewing pleasure!**

 **Another note, on December 15th, I finally start my winter break, which means almost an entire month of no school and no baseball. I' really hoping to get a lot of writing done during that time, so you guys can look forward to that! I really want to get "Facade" up and running again as I'm incredibly excited for where that story is going. If you haven't checked that story out, I'd urge you to do so. It is quiet different from my other stories, but has gotten a very positive response. It includes Advanceshipping, Amourshipping and Caveliershipping, and is an AU story. And while it might seem like your typical high school fic at first, I promise you it is anything but. Just a few more chapters and you'll see what I mean ;).**

 **Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed the chapter and thank you for sticking with this story. I'm having so much fun writing right now, and your feedback just makes that love grow. So please, leave a review as those are what keep me going as an author. Also make sure to follow and favorite! See ya!**


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